One or the other
by allgamesallday
Summary: I had a normal life once, then things went out of control. This is how I fought and defended everything I knew was normal, with some new friends. This is how it all began. Finished.
1. The start of it all

**Well folks, here's my second fanfiction story, One or the other. I will try to update more often, school's back (boo!) and the work will mount up. Still, hope you enjoy it!**

**One or the other.**

There is no way on Earth (and beyond) to even begin this story. You, dear reader , may have noticed something different. Small things like increased mitiary activity, strange power surges, things like that. I can explain, but that could take a while. Besides I had a few problems with this.

My first problem was that, despite my best efforts, I can't remain hidden for long. Not in Britain, recently found to be the country with more security cameras, tracking devices and speed cameras in Europe, if not, the world. For reasons of safety and because I love my family and friends, I shall be known in this story as 'Malcolm' or 'Dave'. My town may have to be known as...well let's not spoil it.

My second problem was the events themselves. Being T rated, I can't start going into great detail as to how certain people *ahem* became no more or what thy said exactly. There may be some slight violence, language (words like 'hell', 'damn' and 'bloody' may sneak in). But apart from that, it may be fairly toned down, mainly for people or children who would rather not have nightmares.

My final problem was simply where to begin.

Yes, where did it all really begin? Arriving on Sonic's world? No, not there. Two more Malcolms appearing out of nowhere? No not there either. How about finding a strange gem and being attacked by several large robots in town? Maybe. I think the best place to start is the week before I found a werid gem in town.

Best start there...

* * *

Wednesday 7th January.

Last free day before school again. A time to finish undone homework, sleep in till lunch and relax.

Not me, not in the very least. At 8:00am I'm out of bed, by 8:50 my mum and dad drive me to the town of Middlesborugh, where I was to take my theory test for driving. This was the second time I had to do it because I failed last time. This was the last time I could fail. If I did, I would pay for the next one and I don't like parting with money (unless it's for a good cause eg:presents for Dad's birthday). Also I could take my driving test if I failed.

9:45am. I handed the woman behind the desk my papers. She looked at them and smiled.

"Everything's in order Mr Malcolm. Just talk to the gentlemen over there. Don't worry, I'm sure you'l do fine."

I was very nervous, but I tried to stay calm. I needed to keep together.

After a quick talk to the 'gentleman', I found workplace 7 and sat down quickly and quietly, trying not to disturb the few already there, in front of the computer. It was a touch screen computer with a mouse and headphones provided for later. The computer gave the following message:

_The multiple choice section consists of four or more choices for each question. It is out of 50 and should take 57 minutes. The hazard perception section consists of 14 clips each lasting one minute and is out of 75. The pass marks are as follows:_

_Multiple choice: 43 out of 50  
Hazard perception:44 out of 75_

_Please note that some questions may require more than one answer.  
_

I prepared myself mentally for the next hour or so. Then with a touch of the screen, the first question appeared,

_Question 1._

_You lose your way on a busy road. What is the best action to take?

* * *

_The woman behind the desk still smiled as she handed me a A4 sheet of paper full of writing. As I made my way to the exit, I scanned for the sentence I needed. I didn't have to look far.

_You scored 47 out of 50 for the multiple choice section and 46 out of 75 for your hazard perception._

_Congratulations, Mr Malcolm, you have passed your theory test. You have two years to take your practical driving test._

Needless to say, everyone who heard was impressed even my older sister who had taken hers two years ago. After a long shopping trip and a quick look at some available cars for the future, we came home to relax.

* * *

To say that I dreaded the next morning wouldn't even come close. My rather large pile of homework was done and dusted, but no one likes to go to school really. I was near the end of my time at school. After my GCSEs was complete, I was done. After this would be college to do A-Levels, then maybe university, then...

Then what? Fame and fortune hopefully, but everyone wants to be famous and you could be. Just go on reality TV or sing on the X-Factor. Easy. Fortune would have to do for now. Money to pay for a large mansion, a fancy car (tempting!) and a few hundred servants.

I frowned as I packed my school bag with today's books and my pencil case. No chance of fame or fortune here.

As my mum dropped me off and I made my way to my classroom, a thought came to me. How about a writer? Now there was a job. Work at your own pace, your own speed. Make up stories about new worlds, new people. You don't just read stories, you live them.

* * *

"Well, gentlemen, I hope you had a good holiday and a wonderful Christmas learning your French and doing coursework. I bet you all had fun." The ironic tone in our Geography teacher was not lost on us and we made several sarcastic remarks about our work. Mr Russ (as I shall call him) indulged himself in it, then started a new line in the same sort of tone.

"Today we will no doubt be in for a treat, a school assembly"

Groans echoed round me as we envisioned the singing, the prayers and the talks that came with it. No one liked school assemblies, but, as Mr Russ humorously remarked, that was life and life wasn't fair.

To make a long story short, we had two days at school before the weekend which we agreed was much needed. After learning and re-learning every French verb there was and making a boring, but expected piece of coursework in English, we felt desperate to escape. So much that, much to Mum's surprise, I came with her to see my Nana and Granda.

I didn't realise what I was letting myself in for. My Granda and I cared about each other. He was a patient, mild-mannered man and would look after me when I was younger, telling me stories and playing games. He gave all his old stuff, but today was different. Without going into too much detail, he led me in his bedroom while Nana talked to Mum, and gave me a box.

"This box," he said, holding in his hands, "saw me through everything I know, through the Second World War and beyond and..." He paused looking at me deeply with his blue eyes.

"I think you should have it. You will need it, I'm sure."

I took the small, unmarked box carefully, as though it would shatter instantly.

"But, why me? And why now?" I asked.

"Because the times are coming. The times that I and all of your ancestors have been through."

I was speechless. I had never heard my Grandad say anything like this. He held out his arms then and we hugged each other tightly.

"Take care, pet." he said.

I nodded and put the box in my pocket. "I will, Granda. I promise."

He smiled and, as we drove away, I felt his words press on me. As we waved to each other, I wondered what he meant by this gift. Maybe he thought it was something for me to keep forever.

I didn't realise then, but that was the start of everything that followed.


	2. The first attack

When I came home, I went straight to my room and took the box out of my pocket. It was a small, plain, cardboard box. There wasn't any thing unusual about it. No markings, no symbols. Just a perfectly ordinary box. I placed on my desk and opened it slowly to reveal...a bottle. A bottle the size of my palm. I picked it gingerly. It was as if I thought it would break apart any minute now.

Why had my grandfather given me this? For what reason? He obviously thought I should have it, but he didn't say how to use it.

"_Through the Second World War...and beyond..." _What did he mean by that? I knew he had been in a tank regiment. He travelled through North Africa and then, saw battle at Monte Casino in his tank. He never talked about the battle itself but, given that it was a bloody battle won only at (one was led to believe) huge cost, I didn't blame him.

I sighed and put the bottle back in its box. People talk about historical battles and wars, but no one really stops and thinks about what the soldiers went through. D-Day, Stalingrad, and the Pacific Theatre, Operation Market Garden (a failure of epic proportions),the Pacific Theatre...the wars were won, but the scars remained deep. Grandad never showed it, but I think the war had an effect on him. But, as long as he knew his family was fine, it didn't matter.

A tear made its way down my cheeks and I wiped it slowly away. Thinking about what he an others went through always made me come close to tears. Things like his two photos of the battlefield of Monte Casino (dated 2nd August 1944-45) and especially a photo of one of his friends with some writing on the back,

_Johnny (his nickname taken from his middle name, John). From another friend who suffered. Andy._

I think that said it all.

_

* * *

_So it was that I found myself putting my coat and shoes on and taking a walk round town. I don't normally do this, but I needed to do something to think about. I checked my coat pockets to check the box was still there. I decided to take it with me just in case I needed it. For what I wasn't sure, but it could come in handy.

You never know.

I walked among some of the hustle and bustle of town until I found myself making my way to the town centre. A new scheme had been introduced and it was now partly pedestrianized for walkers. As I walked on, I heard a woman scream. Several others took it up and I stopped. Suddenly there was burst of what sounded like laser fire, like something out of a computer game.

A gap in the crowd revealed a large group of small, robotic beings that carried small handguns that fired lasers or what looked like lances. Some carried shields and they were moving slowly towards the fleeing shoppers and walkers, shooting their weapons. The people fled in all directions, seeking cover and sheltering in nearby shops and behind anything they could find. I stood still for a moment, taking in the scene.

I was shocked, stunned. I had played shooters and war games, but this was no game or festival, this was serious. Someone was trying to kill all these people and possibly destroy my town, my home...

I decided, against all reason, to stand my ground. I was afraid of course, but no one attacks my hometown and gets away with it.

The centre was cleared in just over a minute. The robots stopped their pursuit and stood, watching. The brief silence that followed was more frightening than the earlier chaos.

Then a robot noticed me and from somewhere inside it, an alarm sounded across to the group. In moments, all eyes were on me. Then they all came at me at once. I curled my hands into fists and prepared myself. A robot lunged its lance at me and I dodged quickly. Then another lance appeared. I moved, but too slow. It caught my coat pocket and there was a loud RIP as the fabric was torn...

...And the box, containing the bottle, fell out onto the ground. I fell away from it and, as I got up, I saw box lying there until the foot of a robot stepped on it. There was a glass shattering sound as the bottle inside broke. But I had bigger things to worry about. The robots had surrounded me and the ones with guns levelled them towards me. I closed my eyes. There was no point resisting now, I was dead anyway.

But before the robots could fire, a strong wind came out from nowhere behind me. I opened my eyes and turned around to see the cause of it. The wind began to pick up and I had trouble steadying myself so I wouldn't fall over. Shielding my eyes, I could make out two figures. Then there was the sound of an explosion, a white flash making its way towards the robots and myself. I braced myself for impact, but it passed by me, or rather through me. The robots, however, were thrown aside with great force into the air, then coming down and landing here and there around the centre, splintering into many bits and pieces when they hit the ground or an inanimate object.

When all the robots were down, the flash suddenly disappeared and the wind died down almost as quickly as it began. The release of tension or perhaps the flash made me feel drained of energy and my eyes began to close. The two figures made their way over to me and as I fell, I felt hands catch me and before I fell into darkness, I thought I heard someone say,

"It's him. You'll be okay. Okay..."


	3. Why should I?

"Well, at least he safe here. For now, at least".

"Yeah, at least. He must be the one who summoned us".

"He looks a bit like Ken, doesn't he".

"Actually, in this light, he does a bit".

I wasn't sure at this point whether I was dreaming. All I saw was darkness. I slowly opened my eyes and two figures swam into view. As my vision cleared, the images became sharper. One of them turned to the other,

"Davink, he's waking up!".

I almost leaped back at the sight of these two, standing beside my bed. I looked quickly round. I was back in my house. I quickly grabbed the first thing I could find and pointed it at them, determined to do as much damage as I could before they attacked.

"Hey look, Dan. He's using a torch to try and hurt us". The voice was laced with sarcasm.

I looked at these two properly...and that's when I noticed. They were almost exactly like myself! I could have been looking into a mirror but for several things. The one who spoke had black hair and green eyes, almost like a cat. He wore loose fitting clothes, T-shirt and jeans, which seemed to almost, but not quite, fit him. He had some muscles under the clothes, I could see, and looked like someone out of the 1960s.

_James Dean maybe? _I thought to myself. _Like from Rebel Without A Cause?_

The other one had almost white hair and grey eyes. He , in contrast, wore a smart 1930s-like suit with a black tie, white and a black waistcoat with black trousers. He wasn't quite as muscular as his counterpart, but he was hardly a wimp. He looked like someone out the Mafia and his smart look made me think he was more organised than the other.

Now he moved forward a little and spoke,

"Sorry about all this, but, if it makes any difference, you're not the only one".

His voice was only slightly higher than mine. I wasn't quite sure what to say, but something (I wasn't sure what) stopped me from calling for help. It was almost as if I had always suspected this would happen. He continued,

"My name is Daniel, the guy who will try to avoid trouble, and this," he gestured to his counterpart, "is Davink. He's the guy who can't stop getting into trouble".

'Davink' scoffed at this and leaned towards me. "Don't listen to him, Malcolm. Taking the mick is his hobby".

I wasn't sure whether to agree or faint. This was becoming too much for me.

"Look," I cut in "would someone please explain what's going on? Where's my family?"

Now it was their turn to look confused. They looked at each other, then Davink nodded to Daniel. Daniel took a breath.

"Calm down, Malcolm. Your family's gone out for an hour or so. As for who we are...I'm not sure where to begin, but..." He paused momentarily, then resumed. "Have you heard of us or what we do?".

I shook my head slowly. Daniel bit his lip and then said,

"Well, to put it briefly, we are Protectors. It is our job, nay, our duty to defend all people who support the good fight, who will stand up against evil and who, basically, are in great need."

I raised an eyebrow. This sounds crazy, almost fanatical, but I found myself listening to this. Again, it felt as though I had suspected this all my life, yet no one told me.

"So," Daniel continued, "Do you want to hear what we have to say?"

I thought for a moment. Was this what was suppose to happen? Two rather strange characters, appearing out of nowhere and pushing the bounds of all belief?

Was this the legacy of my Grandfather and Great-Grandfathers?

"Why should I?"

Daniel shrugged, "It saved your family more than once".

* * *

"So you don't know where you came from? You must have some idea."

"Nope, no idea, Malcolm. We just...came down to Earth." Davink sipped his drink carefully. "We came to your ancestor nearly a thousand years ago."

"When was that?" I asked.

Daniel took up the thread. "1066. The Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings."

My eyes widened. The Norman Conquest was the last time England was successfully invaded.

"You were there?" I asked breathless with admiration. "How?"

And they told me.

William the Conqueror came from Normandy, Northern France ("Damn French", Davink put in). He was promised the throne of England, but when the king died, Harold Godwinson, the most powerful lord at the time, took the throne and William sought vengeance. To make a long story short, William's troops landed in Southern England and met Harold's forces near the town of Hastings. While Harold and his men feasted and drank, William's men prayed to God.

One such man was Jacques de Hugo, a honest and brave man who went to pray alone. As he prayed, a shooting star came towards him. He prayed quickly for salvation, thinking it was a sign, but the star fell, until it landed several feet away from him. Jacques was thrown aside, and when he awoke, he found two men standing there before him...

Needless to say, William won the battle of Hastings with his archers, cavalry and brave infantry. He, however, would have died due to a small band of men who broke through the lines to kill him. Would have, if it hadn't been for Jacques de Hugo and his two 'friends'. Harold was killed by (legend has it) an arrow in the eye and William made his way to London unopposed to be crowned King of England on Christmas Day. He began by honouring Jacques and his 'friends' with land and money. Jacques later married and had children, but he never forgot what had happened...

"So Jacques," I said slowly, "was the first in my family to have this happen? He's my earliest ancestor?"

"Yep." Daniel replied, "and it's been that way for centuries. Every time the family or world needed a hero, we came back. When we were done and peace was restored, we'd stick around for five, ten years, then go back."

I thought for a moment. "What are your skills?"

Davink sat back in his chair. "Well," he began, "I'm more of the 'kill first, ask questions later' kind of guy. I'm the solid, dependable soldier who does everything from defeating empires to saving cats out of trees." He took another sip at his drink, which happened to be Lager (Nothing like a good, man's drink, he had said).

I turned to Daniel. "And you?"

He, in turn, smiled. "You don't believe us, do you?"

"I'm not sure. I want to, but reason tells me you shouldn't exist. It's impossible."

"How is it impossible, Malcolm?"

"Because...because it is. There is no such thing as supernatural beings."

Davink leaned forward again and looked at me. "People only thought there was no such things as women having votes, but it happening now...unfortunately." Davink added bitterly as he sipped his drink.

"Unfortunately?" I said, confused. "It's allowed women greater freedom. It's a steeping stone to what you might call the true freedom."

"True Freedom? Where the hell did you get that ? Listen, Malcolm, there is no such thing as true freedom, no life after death, no heaven or hell. There is only the here and the now. And as for women..."

Daniel whispered in my ear. "He has strong opinions on some of these matters. We've...seen a great deal, if not all, of human nature. Besides, Davink is a bit more traditional."

"Shush." Davink hissed. We fell silence and listened closely, but we heard nothing. All round the house was this deep silence, and then we heard a creak from upstairs. I stiffened. Someone was in my house, on the floor above! Davink put his finger to his lips and gestured us to follow him.


	4. Arrival

**Sorry about the wait, but the school work getting heavy (and no less boring), but it has to be done (my future career rests on my GCSEs). That hasn't stopped me thinking of ideas for this story and new ones. We shall see. Please review, by the way.  
**

**Now, on with the show...  
**

I don't quite know what it was, but I'm sure I should said 'Right, this is a dream. I'm going to wake up now' around this time. I didn't of course. I didn't want to say anything in case the person heard us. At the bottom of the stairs Davink stopped us and gestured for silence. Then, slowly, he crept up the stairs. There were sounds of crashing. The intruder was searching my room. But for what?

Daniel and I stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching Davink creep slowly up the stairs. He moved with a stealth I found incredible. He hardly made a noise. That was, until he reached the second-to-last step. Then there was a loud creak from the stair.

We froze. The sounds from my room stopped.

For several long minutes, there was absolute silence. Then the intruder walked to the door and stepped onto the landing. He stood out the door, hidden from view by the wall. From the bottom, I saw a hand, a robotic hand; reach out carefully towards the stairs, then stopped.

There was a whooshing sound coming from my room, then a white light filled the room, so bright we all shielded our eyes. Then there was a pulling sensation, like being sucked into a whirlpool. The hand disappeared and I felt my whole body rise up off the floor. Then the flash came upon me and I blacked out.

* * *

The first thing I felt, when my senses returned, was a rhythmical knocking in my head. It was like someone was playing the drums in my brain. I opened my eyes and then blinked a few times to make things clearer. I found myself on what looked like the outskirts of a large city. I could have been anywhere. I tried to get up and the drummer in my head went into overdrive.

_Where was the other two, Daniel and Davink? I thought._

Two groans gave the game away. I looked behind me to see both of them getting up. I went to help.

"Are you alright?" I asked

"Ooh." Daniel groaned "My head. Feels like I crashed into a brick wall".

I turned to Davink and he gave a small smile

"Mine feels like an every-hour-of-every-day hangover, but I'm okay, I guess".

Daniel dusted himself off. "Where are we?"

I shrugged. "Don't know, but it doesn't...feel like Earth".

"Well, we should find out soon". He pointed to the city. "Maybe someone there will help".

"How do we know?" I asked, despairingly. I wasn't comfortable about the idea of going into a strange city.

Daniel smiled. "We'll know. You can stay here and rot while I get help".

We watched Daniel walk off towards the city. Then we turned to each other and Davink shrugged.

"Don't know about you, Malcolm, but I'm with Danny Boy there".

* * *

Ten minutes later, we were already attracting attention, and with good reason. We soon discovered that the city was populated by other beings (there is no real way to describe them). Not a human being in site. When we walked pass them, they looked at us, some in wonder, some in suspicion. Others whispered to one another about the three humans walking down their street. Daniel and I were beginning to have second thoughts, but Davink hardly noticed.

So it wasn't long before the 'toughs' arrived. They were a gang of men (or rather males) who swaggered their way towards us. Most were empty handed, but a few carried bats and chains. They followed us for five minutes before someone called out.

"Stop, you. Stay where you are".

We stopped and turned to them. I counted 25-30 males, all strong looking and spoiling for a fight. Davink moved forward.

"Stay back" he muttered, "I know how to deal with punks like this". Then he took a few paces forward and stopped.

"Where's the guy who called us?"

The males made way for a red male with dreadlocks and large fists, almost the size of spades with two spikes on each one. His eyes were purple and, on his chest, was a white crescent. He made his way to Davink.

"I'm Knuckles" he said, crossing his arms, "and you are trouble".

"Trouble?" Davink scoffed, "We're just looking for someone to help..."

"It's too late for that. I don't like smart guys thinking they can do anything they wish".

"Who are you? Police?"

Knuckles gave a small smile. "I'm better than that. I've got powers you wouldn't believe. Powers to deal with disturbances...like you three".

Davink turned his head round to us. "Isn't this a nice welcome, chaps? Reminds of home." He turned his attention back to Knuckles who had uncrossed his arms.

"Well..." Davink said, "that sounds like a challenge. Now I'm up for a challenge". He bent his knees slightly and curled his hands into fists.

"Question is...are you?"

Knuckles smile faded. Then he went for Davink with an fist to the face. The blow never fell, because Davink grabbed his wrist, pulled him forward and gave him a blow to the stomach. We winced and so did the males watching. By now we were attracting a small crowd. Davink was too busy to notice as he pushed Knuckles back. The others looked up at him as Davink hit his fist against his palm.

"Alright gents. Rank doesn't apply". He shouted, "Let's ruck and roll".

There was no need for further encouragement. The whole group, including Knuckles charged straight for Davink. One man versus 30 others.

Daniel smiled. "Watch this, Malcolm. This is going to be good".


	5. Ruck and roll

**AAAAAAAH! So sorry about not updating. I have loads of coursework to do and my GCSEs are drawing near. Nevertheless this story must go on. (I had hoped my school would close due to snow. It didn't) Please review. I'm desperate to know what you think. **

If we had known what coming to this new world would have led to, we would probably have gone straight home. We didn't know. We didn't know, for instance, the consequences of Davink's little fight.

Because, not very far away...

* * *

"Hey, Sonic".

The blue hedgehog turned round. "Hey Tails. How's things?"

The yellow fox with two tails ran to catch Sonic up. "Not bad. Listen, I've been doing some exploring, you know after our last encounter and I've got something to show you".

Sonic smiled. Tails liked to tell his friends about something new he had done or found. He liked tinkering with old bits of metal and turning them into new things. He wasn't too keen on wiring and complicated details, but he couldn't help smiling when his friend did something special. Like that project he was working on now, the one he had kept secret for weeks.

"What have you found?"

"I've got it in the workshop. I'll show you later, but I think you'll like it. By the way, have you seen Amy?"

"Amy?" Sonic tried to look surprised, but his eyes gave him away. "Why?"

But before Tails could say anything else, someone shouted Sonic's name. They saw Cream running towards them and she stopped in front of the two friends.

"Sonic," she panted, breathless from her run, "you've got to come quickly. Knuckles got into a fight, and you wouldn't believe what it is".

* * *

Before we knew what was happening, Davink was submerged by the group, completely buried. Daniel and I watched as all trace of Davink disappeared. The group made a sort of pile in an attempt to subdue the strange creature.

Then a silence. The kind of silence that you know means trouble. A whining sound was heard getting louder, then fading.

BOOM! FLASH!

All of a sudden, every single one of the thirty flew in the air and landed in a heap on the ground. A chorus of groans and moans filled the air while Davink, casual as ever, simply got up and brushed himself down. I was impressed, not at the way he had dealt with the attackers, but the easy, laid-back way he took it. There was little time for this, however, because the toughest of the group managed to get up and, without thinking, charged at Davink individually.

The first mistake they made was picking a fight with Davink so this can be counted as their second. The speed at which Davink handled it took my breath away. He would take down a single person in a few blows and, with what can only presume is magic, forced them back before facing the next attacker. In fifteen minutes every single person who attacked Davink had been forced back.

Seeing resistance was useless, the group began to retreat into the now substantial crowd watching the fight. All except one.

Knuckles.

Knuckles, seeing his friends retreat, stood his ground. He held a large club and a dustbin lid as a shield. He would fight or die.

Despite not knowing him, I admired his courage. His group had fled and the fight was lost, yet he didn't give up. Davink spared us a glance and something in his eyes told me he was thinking the same thing. Davink looked round and saw a chain lying near him. He picked it up, waved around experimentally and, once he felt comfortable, crouched down a little and began to circle. Knuckles did the same thing and both waited for an opportunity to strike.

We watched the two circle for about a minute or two. Then Knuckles charged, giving a war cry as he swung the club towards Davink at great speed. Davink dodged every blow quickly and calmly. Knuckles swung low and Davink leapt out the way. But as he did, he leaned forward a little. Knuckles took his chance and slammed the dustbin lid hard into the side of Davink's face.

The crowd gasped as Davink staggered sidewards. Daniel and I winced at the blow, as though it had been us fighting. Knuckles realised his advantage and charged straight at Davink. But he didn't get far before he was knocked off his feet. It was as if an invisible fist has punched him just under the chin.

_More magic. _I thought to myself.

Knuckles got up...just in time to ward off a blow from the chain Davink was holding. He made to attack, but the chain came back, threatening to knock him out. Knuckles defended against each blow from the chain, quite well, I thought. But he couldn't keep going and his movments betrayed the fact that he was tired. Davink must have seen this as well because he pushed on all the harder.

Finally, Knuckles made a last ditch effort to stop Davink. He threw himself straight at Davink with his shield. But Davink moved out the way and Knuckles continued to fall to the ground. He tried to get up, but Davink pushed him with his foot hard. Knuckles rolled onto his side and still, he tried to get up. He lifted himself up for a few seconds, then fell, defeated.

The crowd were absolutely silent, as they had been throughout the entire fight. I always thought that the crowd would be cheering on of them on like at school. But, no, they stood there with a mixture of shock, amazement and pity as the fight progressed.

Davink seemed satisfied that he was successful and, throwing down his chain, walked over to us. He looked like he had escaped without a scratch, but as he came nearer, it was obvious that he hadn't. He had a red mark on his cheek from where the dustbin lid had hit him as well as a black eye and a speck of blood from his mouth.

"Well," he said, "that made a change. Not bad, though I do say so myself". Daniel looked past Davink's shoulder. Davink turned and we saw Knuckles struggling to get up and almost succeeding. There was no doubt about it; this Knuckles character had guts.

"Knuckles!"

We turned to see a blue hedgehog run past us and go straight to Knuckles while a yellow fox with two tails followed him. Together they lifted Knuckles up, put his arms round their shoulders and supported him as they came towards us. The blue hedgehog looke up at us and I saw he had green eyes that seemed to remind me of something. Something to do with...danger, was it?

He held out his free hand, as if we were meant to shake it.

"I'm Sonic" he said, with a hint of arrogance in his voice. "Sonic the Hedgehog, and you guys have got a lot of explaining to do".


	6. Offers and arrangements

**Got off from school early due to snow and its nearly half term. Hooray. Didn't have much to do so thought I might write this for you readers (who still haven't reviewed, he hinted). Still, must go on.**

Midnight. I was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. The street outside was quiet, not even any distance traffic. The peace from this place made me feel relaxed yet uneasy. And the conversation kept going round my head...

* * *

"So you have no idea how you got here?" Sonic asked.

I shrugged. "I wish I did. But I am more concerned about where I am now."

Tails leaned forward and studied me closely. "Where do you come from?"

"Earth".

Tails' eyes widened. "You mean... the planet Earth? I thought...that is to say..."

I smiled. "Don't worry yourself".

"But don't you see?" He was breathless with excitement, "There hasn't been a actual human here since...since..."

Sonic leaned back in his chair and also smiled.

Daniel came in from the kitchen, having offered to prepare drinks (non alcoholic, he insisted, much to Davink's dismay).

"No Davink". I said, noticing his absence, as I took my cup.

Daniel bit his lip. "He and Knuckles are...settling their differences as 'good, clean, decent fighters' apparently".

I nodded. When we had been lead to Sonic's apartment, Davink had actually volunteered to heal Knuckles with some magic power I knew nothing of. Knuckles regained his senses and his strength and when he found out, he was determined to avenge his defeat.

It was only natural, I thought as I sipped my drink. Fighter's pride and all that.

Sonic sat up again. "So," he began, "your story is your grandfather gave you a bottle, you went for a walk, got attacked then saved, then discovered an intruder in your house, then a white flash and suddenly you're here".

I nodded.

"I know how it sounds, Sonic, but you have to believe me".

Sonic frowned. "I wouldn't normally, but..."

I raised an eyebrow. But?

"...Something tells me you should be here".

I shrugged, leaned back and, quite by coincidence, put my hand in my trouser pocket. My fingers touched something and I stopped. The 'thing' was cold, hard...and had not been in my pocket this morning. Or had it? With all the excitement, I hadn't noticed it there.

"Is everything alright?" I heard Tails ask.

_Don't give yourself away, I thought. Say something._

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired".

Sonic grinned. "You and your...friends can stay here if you want. I've gotta run later".

"Run where". Daniel asked.

Before Sonic could answer, Knuckles came into the room followed by Davink.

"Well?" asked Sonic.

Knuckles nodded. "We've made up". He turned to Davink and gave a little smile, "for now".

Davink winked at me as he sat down at the table. "We soldiers may be killers, but we should at least respect our enemies."

I smiled, but inside, I was nervous. I was in a strange place, miles from home with two unknown people...and now I had something in my pocket that wasn't there before. Maybe there was a general conspiracy against me. Maybe someone high in the clouds is deliberately trying to ruin my life, as I know it. I got up slowly.

"Can I...use you bathroom?" I asked, trying hard to keep the fear out of my voice.

Sonic shrugged and smiled. "Help yourself".

I tried not to hurry to the bathroom, slam the door too hard or lock too quickly. My hands shook as I felt for the object in my pocket. It was still there. I drew it out slowly and looked at it in amazement. Never had I seen such a thing before. It was like I was in some Lord of the Rings book.

* * *

Sonic's generous offer was not without its problems. For a start all I had were the clothes I stood up in so Davink and Daniel suggested something else: namely the clothes I stood up in.

"There's nothing for it, mate," Davink said when I complained, "either sleep in the clothes or don't wear them."

That settled it pretty quickly. Sonic helped us with the makeshift beds (the sofas) as best as he could. I opted for the floor with the rug while the other two went for the sofas. At night, we tucked ourselves in early. I was confused but Daniel agreed it was best.

"We need an early start tomorrow. You'll see why."

Strange, I thought. What are they planning?

As we lay there in the darkness, we began to whisper to each other. Short brief conversations before someone said goodnight for the fifteenth time. Things like "Do horses lie down when they go to sleep?." (I think that was Daniel but I'm not sure).

Eventually snoring behind me meant Davink was asleep and Daniel seemed to be muttering something under his breath. I smiled to myself.

Whether I said, the truth was I had a lot to learn from these two. I stayed awake for some time until a church bell far away struck twelve. Still I lay awake before I closed my eyes and sank into a deep, haunted sleep.


	7. Training

**I got a review for this story. Short, brief but it still counts and from Canada. (Dances about wildly, cheering, then sits down). Sorry. Please keep reviewing. I don't mind if it's positive or negative, I would like to know what you think.  
I would also like to apologise in advance if anyone is offended by either the mild swearing or the views mentioned. THESE ARE NOT ENTIRELY MY VIEWS. They are a collection of views I have gathered (as a historian) and placed here. I have no wish to offend anyone, but there will be more of this so I apologise here and now.  
Now that's settled, I will continue. **

"Rise and shine."

I groaned. I have always hated getting up in the mornings, no question of it. I opened my eyes slowly and saw Daniel standing over me.

"Come on, get up. We've got stuff to do and little time to do it in".

I struggled half-heartily out of bed. Davink seemed to be just as eager to go.

"What about breakfast?" I moaned.

"Breakfast? Breakfast is for losers and wimps, Malcolm. Now let's go". Davink made his way to the door ahead of us.

Daniel smiled. "Sonic left early and he left us a spare key". He took the key out of his pocket to show me as he spoke.

Davink opened the door and I trudged reluctantly out of the apartment, followed closely by Daniel like some avenging angel.

* * *

As we walked down the street, I noticed how quiet it was. I knew it wouldn't last long, if my knowledge of towns and cities told me anything. I also began to wake up a bit due to the chilly morning air. Davink and Daniel walked beside me and we started talking. It wasn't long though, before Davink and I started 'discussing' other countries. Daniel stayed out of it the whole way through.

"Seriously, Malcolm, I have never trusted the Americans. They're always late to every war and they think they're so damn invincible".

"Davink," I began, "you can't judge all the Americans that way. Some of my friends are Americans and there is nothing wrong with them".

"Nothing wrong? Every thing's wrong as far as I'm concerned. They're more patriotic than anyone else and it makes me sick".

"If they want to be patriotic or religious, let them. It's fine by me. Just don't expect me to join in".

"Really?" Davink wasn't very convinced.

There was a long silence after that. How do you reply from something like that? I broke the silence this time.

"What about...Canada?" It was the first country that came into my head.

Davink thought for a moment, then...

"Canada's alright".

I raised my eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean they were part of the British Empire and they are very nice people. The view's wonderful as well. It's a pity they have to speak French rather than or as well as English".

"Davink..."

"No Malcolm, don't argue. The French, they look down their perfumed, snobby noses at us Brits and they eat frog, snails and even horse-meat".

"I know, but..."

"Let me finish. We English have been at war with them for nearly 900 years and at peace for nearly 90. They also speak too fast for you to understand. What difference does it make? What bloody difference does it make?".

"Davink," I said "Can't you just let it go? Prejudice never solves anything."

"Where did that come from?" Davink shouted, "Prejudice solves anything and everything. How the hell do you think empires were created like the British Empire? The enemies we had like the French and Spanish you think we played fair with them, persuaded them to drop their weapons? No! We regarded them as ignorant and uncivilized, then gave them a walloping. We still do and quite rightly so on my humble opinion".

Again there was a long silence. This time I thought it safer to keep quiet rather than have a full-blown argument.

* * *

"Well, we're here". Daniel said eventually, "all ready for the training".

I looked round. We had arrived in a flat, open plain, half a mile from the city. Obviously we had come here for something, but I hadn't expected this.

"Training?"

"Of course". Daniel answered, "We have a little tradition that when we are summoned, we begin the training the day after. Didn't we tell you?"

I shook my head. "No".

"Ah well, now you do". Daniel shrugged and put his hands in his pockets.

"But what is the training for?" I asked.

"For you". Davink stepped forward now. "If you want to survive to see your family again, you need to know how to fight like we do".

Something about the way Davink mentioned family made me realise how homesick I was. I wasn't very fond of living in England and neither were my family. I, or rather we, always dreamed of the day we could leave and go somewhere like Australia, New Zealand. Spain and Italy were nice in summer. But now...

Now I longed to go home. To see my family and friends and to forget about robots and strange objects and other planets. I wasn't some daredevil or an adventurous explorer. I was just an ordinary person who wanted to go home.

Until then...

"Okay,". I sighed "Let do this".

Davink slapped me on the back. "Knew you would, Malcolm. It's in your blood. Now let's get started. The first thing we'll look at is unarmed combat".

He rolled up his sleeves and held one arm up, tensing his muscles so that they bulged like some circus strongman.

"Lesson one: your equipment".

* * *

For the next few hours, I was literally pushed beyond anything I had experienced thus far in my life. The training offered by these two gave me the impression that army boot camp look like a school outing. Sword fighting, Offence and Defence, Archery, every subject you could think of. There was even target practice and a harsh fitness course. I tried my very best, but no human could learn all this in a few hours and use it later on. And there was the small matter of my asthma getting in the way.

"Not bad, for a first try," Daniel said at the end, "but you'll get better at it. Trust me".

After a quick break for lunch, the training continued until the warm sun began to sink into the west, turning the clouds into a vivid pink and casting long shadows on the ground. I slumped down on the ground, exhausted, gasping for breath from the training and not having my inhaler. Daniel and Davink both helped me back up.

"You are trying hard, Malcolm," said Davink kindly "You just...need a bit more practice".

I nodded, too tired to speak. School sports had nothing on this, not even close. My body ached for the strain of the fitness and my eyes kept closing so I didn't remember the journey back. I do recall being helped into Sonic's apartment and placed in my bed. It didn't take long for me fall asleep. Unlike last night, it was a swift, dreamless sleep instead of the deep haunted sleep.


	8. Know thy enemy

**That's two reviews now. Still on half-term till Monday next week and still got homework (boo!) Can't stop now though. I've got lots of ideas for this and more. The question is: what do you think?  
Now where were we? Ah yes...**

I woke up steadily the next day. A ray of sunlight found a gap in the curtain and fell on my face. I found myself smiling and drifted into a half-asleep mode.

I heard someone walking towards my bed. I opened my eyes to see a young girl standing there. She was a young hedgehog, like Sonic, but she wore a red dress and red boots with a white stripe on them. She was about chest height to the average man. She had pink hair and light green eyes. She was kneeling down and she gently shook my shoulder.

"Time to wake up," she said "you can't lie in bed all day".

"I know, but I can try" I yawned. "How did you...?"

"...Get in here? Spare key from Tails".

She smiled, and then got on her feet to wake the other two up. As she moved to the window to draw the curtain, Davink spoke in a dreamy voice.

"I knew a man Ireland once. He proposed to five sisters one after the other. Then the father died and he proposed to the mother".

The girl turned to Davink slyly. "Are you suggesting something?"

"Not really," he answered "Just something that passed through my mind, Miss..."

She smiled. "Rose. Amy Rose".

Amy Rose. It seemed to describe who and what she was in two words.

_Maybe she's Sonic's girlfriend or something_, I thought.

"Have you seen Sonic?" Daniel asked suddenly "Haven't seen much of him since we arrived".

She sighed, a wishful sigh. "I haven't either. He's always running around trying to stop Eggman".

"And who is Eggman, when he's at home?" I asked. "Local nutcase, maybe?"

"He was a scientist, but now he builds these robots for evil. Some people think..." She spun round, as if to check if anyone was listening, then continued in a low whisper.

"Rumour has it that he's preparing a massive army to attack us and everyone in the universe. They say he's been doing this for months and he may attack anywhere at any time using some dimensional thing".

Davink raised his eyebrow at me. "Sounds mighty interesting. What do they look like this robots?"

Amy shrugged. "Just...short. About my height. They carry guns and lances and now they carry shields. Someone across the road saw a large group disappear, just outside the town".

I shuddered. If what Amy was saying was true, then the group she described was the same group who had attacked my town. The same group Daniel and Davink had dealt with.

"Anyway, would you like breakfast? I could do you something while I'm here".

I remembered just then that the last time I had eaten was before I saw Granddad. That was...I counted slowly, nearly two days ago. Fortunately we were all agreed. It wasn't long before we went

* * *

"Well Malcolm," Davink asked outside the city, "what do you think?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I know you're thinking about something Davink".

"I am indeed. I say we pay this Eggman a little visit and see just what he's up to. I'm sure you'd like to ask him a few questions as well".

"I'm with Davink here". Daniel admitted, "Maybe he is planning something and I for one would like to find out what".

I could see it was not worth arguing. These two seemed to know what they were doing, and yet something seemed wrong. It was something I knew was dangerous, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. This feeling persisted all through the journey towards Eggman's base.

* * *

Rather than run there, Daniel suggested we walk so as not to waste energy. On the way we went back to the rather sensitive topic of other countries. The pair had very strong view about some countries and I tried, in vain, defend the countries against this.  
The journey itself was very picturesque. After a long plain of about a mile, we passed a set of high hills that looked almost like mountains with a narrow valley in between. In the middle was a small lake that rippled slightly and shone like a mirror. After the valley, we came upon another plain, shorter this time, by half a mile then to a river with several bridges. On the other side was a large forest that looked disturbingly quiet and peaceful.

"Nice place for an ambush". Davink muttered.

We pressed on through the forest, always watching and listening. Amy had told us that Eggman was a genius. That made him a dangerous foe, made all the more dangerous by the fact that we didn't know his capabilities. That was why we had come.

Know thy enemy.

After what seemed an endless eternity, we reached the end of the forest. There were several large bushes and we crept into the nearest, hoping to rest before continuing. Suddenly there was an explosion nearby. The ground seemed to heave under our feet. As we recovered there was another explosion, then another. I carefully peeped out through the leaves.

Looking up at the sky, I could see huge ships taking off. Monstrous airborne ships floating almost effortlessly into the air, casting huge shadows on the ground. I could faintly see that they carried a type of cannon. Not just one, but several. And the robots on the ground...

I stared. Hundreds maybe thousands of robots, all the same size and build covered every inch of ground available. As Amy had said, some carried lances and shields, but most held small handguns and here and there, some carried a large bazooka type weapon. There were gaps in some places and the robots just stood and looked around with a sort of vacant expression on their faces.

The mere sight of all this was enough to send shivers down my spine. I admit I was frightened, but who wouldn't be? I wanted to run away, but I stood firmly. Partly out of shame and partly out of making the journey back alone.

As I watched, I felt Daniel move, and then a cold, metal object touched me. I almost jumped, but it was only Daniel. He handed me a small, short sword with a tapered point, like a Roman sword. I didn't like to ask where it came from, but I held it firm in my hand.

"Just in case". Daniel whispered.

Then a robot turned his head in our direction and made its way to us. There was another explosion, further away, the ground shook slightly and I heard Davink swear.

"Hell, he might have heard us". He looked at me briefly "Don't worry, Malcolm. Stick with us".

I didn't have a lot of choice in that matter. As the robot came towards us, I prayed he wouldn't look in the bush we were in. He stopped short of us so we could see his rather thin, metal legs. Then, to our growing horror, more robots joined him on either side. Then there was a rustling on both sides. They were searching the bushes for us and they were getting closer!

_Not here, _I prayed silently, gripping the sword. _Please, not here. Not now.  
_


	9. Eggman

**That's three reviews. Not quite sure what the third one meant, but so far, so good...**

While we were on the verge of capture, life in the city continued, in a quite surreal way, as normal. In fact that day was just like any other. It seems totally incredible to me now that everything just went on as normal, not just on Sonic's world but mine. In most people's cases, anyway...

"Mrs Malcolm," the policeman sighed as he talked through the phone, "we are doing everything we can to find your son...I know...I know its hard, but...Yes, the reports are true. Still no trace. No forced entry, no other fingerprints, nothing...Yes, one of the neighbours saw two men carrying someone who looked like...Yes, your son...No, don't you worry Mrs Malcolm. I'm sure that wherever your son is, he's happy, well and, most importantly of all, safe".

* * *

The tension was almost unbearable as the robots searched and searched. I kept a tight hold of the sword handle while waiting for the inevitable discovery. The bush we were in shook and a robotic hand appeared before us. In an instant of shock, it reminded me of the hand we saw at my house before we arrived.

_I could die here. _I thought suddenly. _I could die here and no one would ever know._

The hand drew the branches aside and we found ourselves staring at this robotic face which, had it been human, would have registered surprise.

Time seemed to stop. We stayed stock still for several moments, looking at each other before the robot held a hand in the air and an alarm sounded somewhere inside it.

"GET UP AND GET 'EM," Davink shouted. He thrust his sword arm out towards the robot. The sword broke through the metal casing, the robot shuddered and then, with a slow whine, the robot fell to its knees.

There was no time for more however. We burst out of the bush and went straight for the robots. I stabbed at the nearest robot and I had time to see the surprise on its face before I drew the sword out and went for another. This one dodged, but not quickly enough as the sword succeeded in breaking into the arm. I took my chance, taking the sword out, grabbing the arm and swinging round and round. Others came to assist it, but were knocked back when I 'accidentally' let go.

"Nice move, Malcolm". I heard Daniel's voice shout. But the excitement was short-lived. As I looked, it was obvious we had lost the element of surprise and the robots began to back off, waiting for us to strike. To make things worse, more robots responded to the earlier alarm and were now gathering round us. I looked round for the other two, which didn't take long since we were being slowly forced into a small circle, back to back. The front row held lances that they held out towards us daring us to charge them.

The silence was even more frightening than the brief battle we had fought. I was breathing heavily though whether that was asthma or fear, I couldn't tell. I still had the sword in my hand, but it seemed useless now against all this.

The robots began to inch their way forwards, their lances still pointing at us. This forced us to move closer together. Over their heads, I saw the robots part for something. It was like a big, metal bowl with the top part of a man sitting triumphantly in it, no doubt pleased with the prospect of having prisoners in his cells.

The figure made his way slowly towards us, the robots making way for him respectfully. I began to tremble a little until Davink prodded me lightly with his sword, which I saw now was a huge, curved sword.

_How come Davink gets the big sword and I get the little one? _I thought. I would say it was unfair, but life was unfair.

The figure finally made his way to our circle. He stopped his metal bowl in front of us and looked at us. He had an untrimmed moustache and a big nose. He wore thick glasses so we couldn't see his eyes and his head had a bald point on the top of his head, almost surrounded by hair.

"Well," he said eventually, "who are you?"

I stepped forward. "I'm Malcolm. D.J. You can call me Dave".

He looked at me. "What's the J stand for?"

"Just call me Dave. These two..." I gestured at Daniel and Davink. "...Are risk-taking daredevils that get themselves and me into these situations".

I heard the two scoff at this behind me. Eggman smiled, but it was a smile that had no sympathy. "And where are you from?"

"I'm not sure about these two, but I'm from Earth".

Eggman frowned and thought for a moment. Then...

"Why are you here?"

I shrugged. There was no answer to that question. I didn't want to come here. I liked it, but I was sort of brought here. This brought up the question as to how did I get here.

"What, no reply? I would have thought you were well brought up. Looks like I was wrong. Still we have time to talk".

"Now, look..." Daniel stepped forward and held out his sword. The robots instantly moved closely to stop him, but Eggman held up his hand with the grace of an emperor.

"Look, Eggman..." Daniel started again, "we're not here for the nostalgia tour. I...We would like to know..."

"Enough". Eggman stopped Daniel saying any more, then leaned back and twiddled his thumbs. "I can't say much. It won't matter much. The fleet is almost ready. In three weeks we move to the third one and, with its conquest from above and below, I will finally build the Eggman Empire at long last".

"What do you mean?" Davink demanded. "What about us? Where are you going?"

Eggman wagged his finger at us. "Now that would be telling. You should get going". He checked an imaginary watch. "I'll give you one minute, starting now, to go back or you can stay and watch helplessly as I fight...and win".

As he finished speaking, the robots behind us made a gap, presumably for us to run through. We looked at each other, then at Eggman, then at the gap and nodded at each other. In five seconds, we made our choice.

* * *

I don't think I have ever run so fast in my entire life as that moment. We crashed through the bushes and sped through the forest. It didn't take long for the asthma to kick in so that my pace slowed, but before I could stop, Davink hit his hand hard on my back. Then I found the asthma receded. Still we ran, no time to wonder, until we reached the river, crossed the bridge...

That was when we heard the shouted order. I glanced behind me to see the quiet forest. Then a wave of robots came out of the bushes and headed straight for us.

"Damn" I whispered. I turned and kept running. Davink and Daniel needed no warning, they were already ahead. We ran across the plain, then...

"Look," cried Daniel "The valley!"

We stopped momentarily to look behind us and maybe rest a little. The robots were having some trouble crossing the bridge, but that wouldn't stop them. We were all gasping for air like fish out of water.

"Come on," Davink breathed, "It can't be far, the city. We can't stop".

We nodded. As we ran again, I glanced behind and saw, to my horror, that quite a few had crossed the bridge and were following us with a single-mindedness that shook me to the core. We continued to run through the valley, round the lake and out again with the robots in hot pursuit. Some even decided to take a few shots at us. They missed of course, but it was more of a warning rather than an actual attempt.

That was the least of my worries. My chest suddenly tightened and I realised that whatever Davink had given me had been used up. I cursed myself for not having the foresight to put an inhaler in my pocket. My chest ached and tightened, telling me to stop but I didn't. I was running on adrenaline. After that, I was dead. Then Daniel shouted something. I turned my head and there was the city in the distance, so near yet so far. We were nearly there, but the robots were close behind.

I gritted my teeth as the pain in my chest intensified and a feeling that I could faint. There had to be a way to get there before the robots caught up. There had to be. But no cry or warning could be heard and I slowed down, bracing myself for a laser shot that would take me down.


	10. Escapes and Plans

**Four reviews. I even got a CW4M (Can't Wait For More). Time to see what happens next...**

"MALCOLM!" I heard Davink shout. I fell to my knees, breathless. I couldn't stop gasping for breath. Davink came towards me followed closely by Daniel.

"Get...out". I wheezed. "Leave...me...here".

"Malcolm, I'm not leaving you while you're in danger. Come on". Davink held out his hand for me to take.

I turned my head round to see the robots closing in. They were no more than fifty yards away and getting closer.

"NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME, MALCOLM". Daniel was getting frantic.

"I...can't...go on".

"MALCOLM". Daniel shouted. "PLEASE!"

The robots were almost on us. Daniel put his arms round my chest and tried desperately to get me away while Davink held out his sword to keep away the robots. In my half conscious state, I could see we weren't going to make it, but I no longer cared. I was weary, footsore; miles from home in a strange world. How could I go on, knowing I would never see my friends or family again?

As I watched Davink, he readied himself for his last stand.

Then out of nowhere, two beings rushed past us in a blur of colour towards the robots. One was blue while the other was black. When they reached the robots, the effect was instantaneous. The beings almost leaped from robots to robot, smashing them to pieces and moving to the next one so quickly that it was over in nearly a minute. When they stopped, I saw one was a black hedgehog with streaks of red here and there and the other was...

"Sonic!" My breath came to me eventually. "How...did you...find us?"

He winked. "Thought you needed a hand. You really should be careful these days. By the way, this," He pointed to the other hedgehog, "...is Shadow".

"Hmm". Shadow looked at us with curiously. "You must be the humans I've heard of".

"We have that privilege". I heard Daniel behind me. "We went to see Eggman to find out about him. This wreck we call Malcolm is the result".

"There are more of them!" Davink shouted "They're coming this way".

At that point, I felt a faint tingling in my hands, a sensation like a million pins and needles. It spread through my whole body, helping me breathe naturally and easing the pain in my chest. I found myself fully conscious and saw more robots in the distance. The feeling of pins and needles continued in my hands. I carefully lifted my hands towards the robots and my arms trembled. Before I could stop myself, there was a strange light in front of me. It seemed to fade, and then it exploded, sending a wave of force towards to the robots.

I'm not entirely sure what happened because the explosion blasted me back as well, taking Daniel as well. I landed a few metres from my original position and this time, my eyes closed, not from unconsciousness, but from a drained feeling like I felt after the training.

* * *

"Where am I?" I woke up immediately. Davink was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside me.

"You're in Sonic's apartment, in your 'bed' and I have to say, I'm a little tired of dragging you around all the time, conscious or otherwise".

"Sonic!" I remembered the robots and our attempt to escape. "Did we..."

Davink smiled. "Yes, he's safe. So are we as well. That was pretty spectacular back there by the way. There's more to you than meets the eye".

"Did I destroy them all?"

Davink nodded. "All but one, but that okay. It only takes one person to deliver a message".

"Was that...magic?"

"It was. It happens soon after people like us appear. It can take weeks for it to appear, but you managed three or four days".

"Magic?" I was still trying to take this on. I never knew this sort of thing happened in real life, only in those rubbish novels with 'mysterious powers' and 'secret groups'. But this was real.

"Magic," Davink continued "has certain effects on people like you. Some spells left you drained and tired. Others like the one you used can knock you out. You're very lucky actually. If Daniel hadn't been holding you, he wouldn't have been able to absorb the rest of the spell. It might have killed you".

I swallowed. These experiences were making me nervous. How many times can on person cheat death? Surely the odds were dead set against me by now.

"Can you teach me how to use it?" I asked.

"Of course". Davink nodded. "I would rather not have to tell your family how you died from miscasting a spell".

Again, I felt that now-familiar twist in my heart. Homesickness. I was missing my home. I never thought I would miss everything as much I did now.

Daniel came in with a glass of water. He gave me the glass and let me sip at it while he spoke.

"Glad to see you're awake. Now to business. Eggman's got an army. I've had a word with Sonic and it's clear that we need help".

"Help?" I asked

"Sonic and his friends only do so much and the same is true for the three of us. So we need a plan to stop Eggman from succeeding".

Davink looked at me and so did Daniel. I was briefly confused before it dawned on me.

"I can't come up with a plan. I'm a student, not a soldier".

You're not a bad fighter". Davink admitted. "And you stayed with us rather than run away, trusted us even though you didn't who we were or where we came from. That takes guts in my book".

"Besides," Daniel put in, "I think it's time you had a say in what we do. Give you some independence".

I was stunned. Never in my wildest dreams have I thought this would happen. I just wanted to go home, forget all this. But something stopped me. Daniel was right. Despite having Sonic and his friends, these people needed our help. But how? Then a idea came to me.

"We make an army".

Davink and Daniel looked confused at this sudden outburst so I explained. "We recruit people, train to fight so that we can face Eggman with a bit more advantage".

"What about Sonic and his friends?" Daniel asked.

"We recruit them as well".

"And where are the weapons coming from?" Davink asked, folding his arms.

"We'll steal them, make them, ask people to make their own. You two can train them and me as well".

"I'm not sure".

I sighed. "Come one, Daniel. You said so yourself. We can't face all Eggman has on our own. If we had an army, then we have a better chance at winning. And we use the terrain to slow him down".

Davink nodded his head, but Daniel remained doubtful. I watched nervously. This was the only plan I had so far that could work.

Finally Daniel nodded. "It could work, but we need to figure out a few more things while we do this".

"Later". Davink said, "For now, we need to get some food and discuss how this recruitment drive is going to happen".

Davink made his way to the kitchen. I put the now empty glass down on the floor and got up before Daniel stopped me and pointed to a few shopping bags on his sofa bed.

"A present from the Sonic's shopper friends. Amy got these for you. She wasn't sure on size so she got large for each one. They were going cheap, but these clothes look good".

As he made his way to the kitchen, I just stood and looked at the bags in amazement and a tear rolled down my cheek. Amy had spent her own time and money to help a complete stranger like me, from a different planet.

_Mental note: When I get some money, buy something to repay the favour. A necklace or something.  
_


	11. The recruitment drive

Sonic got in late last night. He was surprised to see the three of us fast asleep, but shrugged his shoulders and prepared for bed. He wasn't too surprised when he woke up and found the same beds empty. Early start and all that. He saw that I had tried on the clothes Amy bought and the sight of my original clothes (the one I had come in) lying on my bed meant that they fitted.

Sonic was moving the clothes when he heard a tremendous hammering on the door. He opened the door to see...

"Tails? What are you doing here?"

"No time to explain. Are the others here?"

"No. I woke up and found them gone. Why?"

Tails came in and faced Sonic. "I need to talk to them. I've been studying day and night, thinking about their story and ..."

Sonic looked worried. "What?"

Tails took a deep breath. "I think I know what brought them here. We need to..." He stopped as he accidentely stepped on my pillow and felt something underneath. He knelt down and lifted the pillows and Sonic looked under them. He stared at the object as he took out for Tails to see.

"Just how long have this been here?"

* * *

The drive was going better than I had originally thought. It wasn't that hard. We made our way to a large square near the middle of town. It was a sort of market day, with open stalls beginning set up and objects carefully organised to catch the attention of the passers-by. We borrowed two tables and four chairs from the stall owners and set them up carefully.

Then we waited while the market began to fill and Davink wondered aloud on whether he needed a loudspeaker or not. He decided against in the end. Finally, after a long hour and a half, the market began to fill quickly until it was basically a mass of people wandering round, checking items, buying the ones they liked and showing their friends and family.

_Just like home. _I thought sadly.

That was when Davink decided it was time. He took one of the tables we had borrowed and called out in loud voice

"ATTENTION, ALL CITY DWELLERS".

The activity stopped and a silence descended on the people. A lesser man would lose his nerve here, but Davink was no lesser man. In a booming, parade ground voice, he told them briefly of our cause and he went into great detail into the perks of joining up: three square meals a day, a warm bed, the best training available. The rewards (if they lived long enough to see them) were medals, decent pay, and immortality in history's pages, not to mention the feeling of fulfilled duty and honour and the feeling of pride of having defeated such a serious enemy. With the training and a bit of courage and luck, they had every possibility of being better than anything Eggman could throw at them.

Needless to say, the people were practically begging to join up. The ideas that Davink had given them were more than enough to produce a steady supply of recruits, not just men, but woman too.

"Name?" I asked.

"Alexandria". The teenage cat in front of me seemed painfully shy. "You can call me Ally".

"Well, Ally," I said as cheerfully as I could. "I just need a few details. Your age and address, first".

After the routine items, I came to the last two questions. "Any real reason for joining?"

"I just...I just thought I should do it. But..."

"But?"

"I'm frightened. I don't know if I could do this. I've never fought someone, anyone before".

I sympathised with her. I was the same before all this happened. I never thought I would, or could, do the things I had done so far.

"Do you really want to join?"

"Yes, of course".

"Even though you know what you could be facing and the consequences of defeat?"

"Yes, of course I do". She said.

"Well then, that's you beginning very brave already".

"Really?" She sounded like some sort of miracle had occurred.

"Sure. Last question. Do you have any special skills?"

She thought for a moment. "I can...I can swim really good. And I do regular exercises". She added hastily.

I nodded. Every skill was useful in its own way, Davink had said. I tore out the details page out, pushed the bottom bit towards her and handed my pen.

"Just sign at the bottom and then talk to Davink over there". I turned round in the chair and pointed to Davink, standing with his legs slightly apart and his arms behind his back. The girl quickly signed her name, said 'thank you' and made her way to Davink. I waited for a few moments and, sure enough, she returned to give me back the pen.

"Don't worry." I said as she apologised over and over again. "That's how I got it. Next".

* * *

"Well lads, what have you got for me?" Davink asked with a board grin when we got back to Sonic's apartment. Daniel answered first, handing him the report.

"I got around two thousand people here. Most have never been in a fight before. Most claim to have good stamina though"

"We shall see about that". Davink moved over to me. "Malcolm?"

"Mine are the same. Never held a weapon before, but they're all keen and eager. I got about two thousand, maybe more".

Davink scanned through our reports and muttered quietly to himself. Finally he straightened up. "Gentlemen, we now have over five thousand new recruits in our little unit. Not bad, though I say so myself. All thanks to Malcolm here".

I barely noticed the compliment. Five thousand in one day! We had been asking questions all day, with only a quick break for lunch, and we hadn't stopped till late evening. I almost felt sorry for Eggman; he would have a tough time facing us.

Davink was about to say more when the door flew open.

"There you are". Tails gasped. "I've been trying to talk to you, but you were busy".

"What is it?" Daniel asked. "What's wrong?"

Tails came in, followed by Sonic who closed the door.

"I've been checking your story, thinking it through and...I need to tell you all something".


	12. Explaining our arrival

**Five reviews now and still counting. As to Ally, she'll survive. Training, then maybe a special mention or event in the fight to come...I'm saying too much here (the suspense). But now...**

"You mean it wasn't entirely by chance that we came here?" Daniel was unsure about this.

"It looks like it". Tails sighed. "Do you want me to run through again?"

I nodded, still trying to take this all in.

"Okay," Tails took a deep breath, then began, "Basically, there are seven Chaos Emeralds. When they are brought together, they do something called Chaos Control. It's like a teleport. One emerald has been missing for many years...until now".

I winced. Tails and Sonic had revealed the seventh Chaos emerald...from under my pillow, where I had kept it safe. The others weren't too impressed, but I had my reasons. One was that I wanted to know where it had come from and how it ended up in my pocket. Tails promised to discuss it after the explanation.  
The other reason was a bit more private. I didn't want to tell the others, but I knew that it wouldn't keep secret for long. That was all part of the plan after all and I knew that if Davink and Daniel knew the whole plan, they would object..

Tails continued, "When you three went to investigate the noise in your house, you must have been near a weak point in time and space. We had a fight with Eggman where all six emeralds were nearby. Eggman took one, but, before that, there was a white flash. Nothing happened and we thought it was something else..."

"Then," Davink took up the story, "we appeared seemingly out of nowhere".

"Exactly". Tails said. "The emeralds here must have reacted to the seventh one on your world and the weakness in time and space enabled Chaos Control".

"Which brought us here". I concluded. "When was this fight?"

Sonic stepped forward. "Time's different on your world...apparently. It changes due to planet movements or something like that. To answer your question, it was two days before you arrived".

We were all silent for a long moment. This solves our being here, but something nagged in my mind.

"Is it possible to return to Earth?"

Tails bit his lip. "I'm not sure, but I'm working on a theory. It's complicated; but it could work. I just need more time. Why?"

Davink sweeped his hand up in a relaxed attitude. "Just take as much as you need, my friend. Malcolm's a bit homesick and, to be honest, I don't blame him".

I was quite surprised by Davink. As a soldierly type person, I thought that emotions were beneath him. I caught his eye and I realised that even he wasn't immune.

I leaned on the table. "I have something to tell you too. Since we escaped from Eggman, I've been thinking about what he said to us and I think...I think he's headed for Earth".

Tails was surprised. "But why?"

"That's what I thought. I went through everything I knew about Earth. He's probably after our energy reserves and weapons".

Sonic shrugged. "What is special about them?"

"We have these very powerful weapons that could devastate any major city. If Eggman gets a hold of even one, millions of lives are at stake. Billions if he takes the planet over".

"What about energy?" Daniel asked suddenly. "Eggman could take the oil, yes. But is there anything else?"

"There is actually". I replied. "If you drill under the Earth's crust, you'll find the mantle and you can use the heat to power your homes or businesses. It's very expensive, but it's environmentally friendly and, if you use it right, you could fuel an empire".

Davink frowned. "Or start a war. You must have to dig pretty deep. I mean, these new-fangled subways can go a long way down".

I looked at Davink as he said this and, as he spoke, something clicked. _Above and below._

Then in an instant of shock, I knew what Eggman was planning. My first thought was to tell the others.

_No. _I thought quickly. _The plan. It can still work if I don't create a stir._

"Well," I said, "That's enough science for tonight. I'm to bed".

"Not me". Said Daniel. "I need to sort something out for tomorrow".

"Me too". Said Davink. "You get some sleep, Malcolm".

As I dressed for bed that night, I wondered what Daniel and Davink had in mind for tomorrow. Maybe they figured out what Eggman was doing, like I had. I eventually shrugged. I would find out tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to find a note stuck to the door. It read:

_Have asked recruits to meet us outside the city. We have everything ready for training. Meet us there ASAP._

_Davink._

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Training?

* * *

"Ah. The man himself". Daniel smiled broadly as I walked towards him. A few of the recurits were already there for an early start and were talking in small groups. As I passed, they acknowledged me with a polite nod and I returned the gesture, slightly confused at this show of respect.

"Hey, Daniel". I replied. "What's with the...?"

"They are acknowledging their commander".

"Commander?" My eyes widened. "Since when have I been Commander?"

"Since it was your idea. Besides, I told you. We're giving you some independence. A normal teenager would love this chance".

I looked at the recurits, and then back at Daniel. "Normal teenagers don't have armies to command or ancestors popping up".

Daniel thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fair point".

"Where's Davink?"

"He's putting the finishing touches to the training course. I've finished my preparations. Now we just need our five thousand recurits".

We stood in silence for a few minutes, watching some more recurits arrive.

"Do you really think we'll beat Eggman, Malcolm?"

I sighed as I watched the recruits keep coming. "To be fair, I'm not sure entirely sure, but he has to be stopped. I will personally move heaven and earth to stop him from destroying my planet or this one. And that's a promise."


	13. Training: Day 1

It wasn't long before Davink arrived back from his 'set-up' and joined us to watch the newly joined soldiers come. After about three-quarters of an hour all of them had gathered and we stepped towards them.

"You give the welcome speech, Malcolm. And while you're at it, think of a name". Davink had told me beforehand. I had to climb up; on the long-suffering table we had used in the square, in front of a large group of strangers and make a speech entirely from my head.

_This is like an actors' worst nightmare. _The thoughts were spinning in my head like mad._ When you forget the script, improvise. Make it up and keep in character. Maybe squeeze in some Shakespeare.  
_

I climbed up and found myself looking down on the group. The talking faded and eventually there was complete silence as all eyes turned to me. I cleared my throat.

_Well, here goes nothing._

"As you may know," I began, "Eggman is threatening you, indeed us, once again. This time, however, it is going take more than Sonic to stop it. That is why you are here. Make no mistake; we are facing great odds and a tough challenge. Anyone who feels they can't do this, please leave now".

I paused and waited for twenty seconds. No one moved an inch. This gave me a bit of warm feeling, but also a feeling of despair for our collective fates.

"Thank you. Now I think you should know, that while we offer the best training, it will be hard, gruelling. There is no easy way out of it. Think of this as a sort of school from where there is no escape. When we're finished I'm sure you could take out Eggman on your own, though I wouldn't recommend it".

There was some polite laughter and I smiled. The thought of home, of school...this couldn't have come at a worst time. Back home, my friends were doing what I should be doing; preparing for the ten (or nine) worst weeks of our lives, revising for our GCSEs. It wasn't just our chances of getting into college; our whole futures were at stake.

_So is everyone's. _I thought as I continued.

"You may well laugh, but I know that Eggman is not just threatening your home, but my home as well. But while I am far away from all I know, this..." I pointed my fingers down to the ground, "...is my home".

I paused. "This...is Earth...to me".

A silence fell across the crowd and I felt a vague feeling of a bond between these people.

"Now, before we start training, a few basics to go over. Number one, you will address my officers and myself as 'sir' on duty. Number two; obey your orders without question and without hesitation. Number three, stick together and look out for each other as much as you can. Help those in need. Finally, number four..."

I stopped, not for dramatic effect, but because I wasn't sure what to say. I still need to give this unit a name. Then something came to me.

"Number four, just do your best. That all we can ask of you, soldiers of the City Battalion. Now, any further questions? No? In that case, form up by Daniel and we'll get started".

* * *

As the recruits made their way to Daniel, I made my way over to Davink.

"How was that?" I asked.

"Malcolm, you are, without a shadow of a doubt, a bright, intelligent and strong boy,"

I smiled. "Oh, well. Thanks"

"That was, however, a pretty dismal speech. No offence, but I've heard more inspiring speeches at a retirement party for accountants. Still, it's your first time and it wasn't too bad. Like the name, by the way. The City Battalion. Where did that come from?"

I shrugged. "Just came to me".

Davink moved towards the recruits and I followed closely.

"Daniel told me you were going to move heaven and earth to stop Eggman".

"Yeah, something like that".

We lapsed into silence as we watched Daniel, bawling instructions to the group.

"Why me?" I asked.

Davink turned his head to me. "What was that?"

"Why did you want me to command these people? Can't you...or...or Daniel? You've got way more experience than me".

"I thought Daniel told you. It's because you need to know how to command and you need to have some independence. When you're in the thick of it, you won't be able to call on us all the time".

Davink turned back to the recruits who were now spreading themselves out in preparation for the training.

"Besides," he continued, "these people need you and when we find a way back to Earth, we'll protect them as well".

* * *

As evening approached, a sigh of relief was heard from everyone. The training was hard as I had promised, but they seemed to take all in their stride. If someone looked like quitting or slacking, either Davink or Daniel would lean over and whisper something like 'I hope Eggman doesn't see you like this'. The mere mention of his name would spur the person on for about an hour or so, which was all we needed.

Apart from a quick break for lunch, the fitness training went on for hours on end. Still, everyone was feeling a bit better knowing I was going through the same thing. It was entirely my choice to do this. I still had a lot to learn apparently so why waste the opportunity? By the end, I was as exhausted as the rest, but I couldn't worry about that now.

"Well, who died?" Davink asked, as we entered Sonic's apartment (which felt a bit like home now).

"Everyone seems eager to learn". Daniel leaned on the table as he spoke. "A few more days of this and then we'll move on to weapons training"

"Anyone drop out so far".

I shook my head. "Not one".

Davink smiled and looked thoughtfully. "Not one, eh?" he mused, "Wonder how they'd do in full armour?"

"I wanted to talk to you two about that". Daniel sat down on a chair by the table. "Where are the weapons coming from? We can't just magic weapons out of thin air".

"You did last time". I pointed out.

"Those are our personal weapons and yours, Malcolm. Lets face it, we need to either make them or steal them".

"Or both". Davink put in. He made towards the door. "I think we'd better finish our preparations, Daniel".

"Can I help?" I asked, trying to keep the fatigue out of my voice.

"Sorry, Malcolm". Daniel got up and made slowly for the door. "You're too young and too important to lose much sleep at this point".

He put his hands on my shoulders and, for some reason, I felt like sinking into sleep. I struggled to keep my eyes open and I yawned while Daniel far away voice went on.

"You need as much rest as you can get".

I took a few steps to my bed on the floor and surrendered to sleep. I was still asleep when Sonic came back from whatever he did. He smiled and went on to prepare himself for bed.

Meanwhile, as Davink and Daniel made their mysterious training preparations, Eggman worked with the same vigour and energy not too far away. The stakes were huge and the rewards were tempting.

While I slept, and my friends worked, the fate of the universe rested on whether we could train these people or not.


	14. Training: Day 2

**Hi guys. Just a quick word. I would like to apologise in advance for any late chapters later on. Life is very hectic. I have REALLY got to concentrate on my GCSEs so I may not always have time for this (unfortunately). I will try, but I can't promise much.  
**

**Still after the exams, I've got three months to write as much as I want and bore you all to death. Speaking of which...  
**

The sun was still rising on the horizon when I made my way through the city to the new training ground on the outskirts. I was still thinking about the weapons and where they would come from. Maybe I should have listened to Daniel and Davink, asked for their opinions first. It was too late now and besides, they were fairly eager to follow me through this. I also needed to decide on whether the troops would be ready in time. We had less than three weeks before Eggman attacked us, here and on Earth.

I had to force myself to concentrate because of a strange dream I had last night.

_I was in a deserted bar. An old, rickety wooden door opened from somewhere. I heard music from somewhere, but when I looked round, there was nothing. Then I heard men's voices. A mixture of American and British voices, talking, laughing, having fun._

_I kept looking round, but I was the only one in the bar._

_"Excuse me, sir". I heard a voice from nearby. It was a soft, cultured, well-spoken voice that might have belonged in an old British war film. There was a pause, and then I heard the rickety old door close. When it did, the voices began to fade until there was silence again._

_The room suddenly grew darker. The air turned cold and I heard faint sounds of movement around me. Then a hand rested slowly on my shoulder and a hard, cold voice behind me uttered one word,_

_"Revenge..."_

It was at that point I woke up. I was breaking into a cold sweat and then found that it wasn't even dawn yet. What could it mean? When the darkness came, I felt a sense of evil. And that hand, that voice.... I could still hear it, in my head.

I shuddered as I came to the outskirts. It was all very strange, but I couldn't worry about a dream. I had more pressing matters to attend to.

* * *

"Nice of you to join us humble soldiers, Mr Malcolm".

I smiled. Davink seemed to be in an unusually good mood, considering he had probably lost two nights of sleep, making his preparations. It was annoying that neither he nor Daniel told me anything, but that was how they were operating today.

"I am still the commander. I have to look after the men and women of this unit. It is my responsibility and my duty".

"Nice of you to care. Still, you do better than some I've seen".

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"One general I remember sat outside his tent and ate ice cream while he sent his men to battle. Thousands must have died".

I was curious at this point, as a historian usually is. "When was this?"

"1915-16 maybe. I was with the Russians, and then when the Russian Revolution started in 1917, I was sent back to the Western Front. The Americans were arriving then, three years too late..." The bitterness was plain in his voice as he pronounced the last part.

"At least they arrived". I replied weakly.

"They were late in the next punch-up too. The Germans beat the stuffing out of us twice and John Wayne over the Atlantic didn't lift a finger until they were threatened themselves. They could have millions of lives...and they didn't".

I felt the conversation was taking a dangerous turn here so I decided to change the subject. "What on the program today?"

"For today?" Davink shrugged. "More fitness I suppose, but we might squeeze in some manoeuvres in. You know, close formation, line formation and all that".

"What about the weapons training?" I asked.

"Give us a day or two and we'll have it all sorted. You worry about growing a beard. Which reminds me...you desperately need a shave soon".

I stroked my chin and felt the stubble under my fingers. It was certainly growing. Any more and I'd have a beard. I know my Mum would be determined that her son would never think of growing a beard. She hated beards because they made a person look scruffy.

That was her opinion and a good person (or historian) should respect a person's views...or wishes.

"I'll get it sorted later". I said. "Right now, we have work to do".

Davink gave me a hearty slap on the back. "That's the spirit. Let's get organised before Dan Dare returns".

I smiled again. Obviously Davink had found a new nickname for Daniel, taking inspiration from an old comic book hero in England. I looked at Davink closely. He had a few strong opinions on many matters. One thing that struck me about him was what seemed to be a personal vendetta against the Americans as a whole. I wasn't too keen myself, but I knew that they were a lot of good people out there.

Another thing was his praising of the British Empire. Not all its polices such as slavery (which he regarded as nothing short of cruel and barbaric), but the idea that Britain ruled the waves and the world, that Britain was a good place to live and how everyone who disagreed was in for a very painful battering.

Those days, I knew, were long gone. In my view, Britain was an awful place to live. The media and history had shown me that the country where I had grown up in was nothing more than an outdated, damp, unpleasant island where political correctness and health and safety ruled the day. A place that had corrupt ministers, cynical and easily impressed leaders and heartless upper class fools.

I regarded Davink with a close eye. Maybe I was being cynical myself, but that was how I or rather my family saw England, maybe even the whole world. How long we had held this view, I wasn't sure.

* * *

The day passed quickly with the fitness training. The people seemed to look, and certainly feel, stronger. The manoeuvres took a lot of time to get right. It was strange to hear untrained feet moving around, but soon, the Battalion could move into various formations with a minimal amount of confusion.

Even Davink was suprised. These people were obviously dead set on beating Eggman by any means necessary. True we still had a few wrinkles to sort out, but with this sort of performance showing, I almost felt sorry for Eggman and his robots.

Almost.


	15. Weapons

**Quick attempt to sneak in a chapter here before school tomorrow. I have been walking and taking photos for geography coursework. Not only did I have a good time with my family (despite the rain), but I also thought of a few new chapters for this story and others. But first...**

The next two days were the same thing. The fitness part was having an effect on the others. It seemed to me that they grew stronger and more confident. So much so that, on the fifth day, Davink decided to move on to weapons training. This caused excitement throughout the Battalion and myself. This would prove whether now four sleepless nights had been worthwhile.

Davink moved to the group and held out a sword, the sword I had used when we 'met' Eggman for the first time. It was a short Roman sword with a sharp, tapered point used mainly for stabbing.

"Can anyone tell me what I have here".

No one answered for fear of embarrassment. This didn't surprise me; teachers did this quite a lot a time, some more than others. Davink waited for an answer, his eyes scanning the crowd for a raised hand.

"Well, that's lost me fifty pounds, thanks to you lot. Okay, lets start from basics..."

I smiled at the reference to fifty pounds. Davink and Daniel had made a bet earlier, while the soldiers formed up, that someone would know what the sword was. In truth, they knew the answer, but were afraid of being humiliated in front of their comrades.

"This is a short sword. The main feature is the point that is very sharp and it hurts a lot if you stab it in the right places. As you may, or may not, have guessed, you do NOT hack with this, you stab it in the enemy's guts. If they have any, that is".

The others chuckled quietly. Davink raised a hand for silence, and then continued.

"Now I'm sure you are all eager for a try at this thing. But first..." he put the sword down beside him, "...you need to practice the various moves and skills you need to survive. To that end, you will be using these".

At this moment Daniel moved forwards and produced a blunt, heavy looking stick or rather club in one hand. In the other hand, he held a large, wooden shield. The troops groaned, all hopes of holding the actual sword dashed. I couldn't help laughing quietly. I had felt the same way when Davink showed me this morning and said I would use these.

"Sir," a voice cried out, "those aren't real weapons!"

"Of course they aren't". Davink shouted back. "If you use them properly, then we'll let you play with the real thing. For now, the army doesn't want you lot to carve each other up and save Eggman the bother. You may notice that these are heavier than the real thing. It is not a design flaw; they are made that way. You're all good, but we need to build on our success thus far. I have never failed in training people like you lot".

Everyone listened, but with a certain lack of enthusiasm, I noticed. Davink wasn't too happy with this, but what could we do? We knew that Davink was telling the truth, hard as it was.

"Now," he said, "unless anyone has any more complaints, the training will begin".

* * *

As I watched, the recruits began to make progress. The hard work of Daniel and Davink was revealed. It turned out that they had created a large training ground from scratch. They had set stout, wooden posts into the ground in neat ranks for the soldiers to hit with their wooden weapons. Here and there, I watched carefully as each person hit the post with a thrust, leaped back, blocked an invisible blow and then repeated the process with a thrust elsewhere.

Davink and Daniel wandered in and out of the trainees, helping someone to improve the technique or to demonstrate a wrong executed move. It was a laborious process and, despite my help, it became clear that we needed more practice on the weapons part of the training. We had little time before Eggman attacked and we had only just started. But the troops were eager to learn and obey, mostly. They wanted to prove themselves as well.

I came to one recruit who seemed to be trying to crush the post into little pieces by sunset. I watched and then grinned as I recognised Ally's face, which smiled back.

"I'm doing it". She said, breathless from the display, "I'm making a difference, sir".

I felt a warm glow inside me as I watched her continue training. She seemed to have undergone a transformation. When she joined up, she was nervous, but then we all had been. Now she seemed more self confident, more sure of herself. In a funny way, she reminded me of myself. Before I found myself at my current school, I was a shy, quiet person. Now nine years, and countless lessons later (plus a trip to the Royal Albert Hall in London), I was surer of myself, ready to face any challenge head-on.

Nine years?

I wandered aimlessly along the line. Had it really been that long? I used to believe that the world was a truly good place, that good would always defeat evil, no trouble. Now?

Now I knew better. The world is good, but sometimes it can be cruel. Sometimes, good didn't always triumph. Not always. Even now, evil threatened us. What was the saying?

_Sometimes, all that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good to do nothing._

I frowned. Nothing was simple any more. Davink seemed to think so too. Thinking about Davink made me remember what he had said about the Americans...and the Russians...and the Chinese.... The list went on and on. But why?

* * *

"Why?" Daniel looked surprised when I asked him. Everyone was taking a thirty-minute break for lunch and I took the opportunity to ask Daniel about Davink's opinions.

"Malcolm," Daniel began, "we've been on Earth for about a thousand years, since the Battle of Hastings. Every time, we have helped your ancestors win, or sometimes, escape from losing. We have helped make peace, gone away, then returned to help in the next conflict".

"Yes I know," I said, "but why the personal vendetta against all things American".

"It's not just them. You see, in the time we have been here, we have seen much. Too much. Battles, intrigue, betrayal and torture. You name it; we've seen it. We have even seen the concentration camps of the Third Reich, the slaughter of the Somme, the Purges of Russia and the racism of England and America, but only briefly".

I swallowed at the names. "Everything?" I asked quietly.

Daniel nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. Davink is very bitter towards certain countries. He has his favourites though".

I nodded. I knew all right. "What about you?".

Daniel looked at me. "Me? I blame people myself. Davink blames the countries themselves and usually the people at the top. I take issue with the people at the bottom. The ordinary citizen and their inventions. I don't blame all of them, but I do blame most of them".

So that was it. Davink spoke against countries while Daniel spoke against the average person. I also noticed that Davink thought about the battle whereas Daniel thought about the war.

"Do you think...?"

Daniel shook his head. "Sorry, Malcolm. You can't change what we have seen and you can't change opinions overnight, historian you may be".

I sighed as Daniel walked away to rouse the troops for training. I had suspected that Daniel was right. If half the things I knew were correct, then there was little or no hope for humanity changing its way. But I knew, somewhere in my heart, that change was possible.

I had to be right or we were all lost.


	16. Hope and Despair

**Sorry about the late chapter, but I need to get on. I will finish this revision and coursework, but it's the weekend. So, on we go...**

A week later, everything was falling into place. After many hours, the idea of the weapons was beginning to dawn on most the recruits. The more advanced of the groups were practising against each other. That wasn't the only change though. After several, long evening sessions, I was revealing hidden talents myself.

"Become one with your weapon, Malcolm, and you will go far. Far from here I hope, the way you swing your sword".

I took all this and continued the training. When I started out, I could be knocked to the ground in five minutes...if I was lucky. Now it would take longer, maybe an hour against Davink or Daniel. This wasn't as easy as it sounds. It took real determination and courage to take on either of the two. That and a healthy dose of luck. But I felt ready to face Eggman this time.

As for the Battalion, we were amazed at the progress they had made. Someone had suggested a standard for the unit and after yet another sleepless night for Daniel and Davink, we had one. A stout pole with a red square. On it was an inscription:

_City Battalion I._

Underneath the writing was a small picture of a short sword and a shield to represent the defence of this planet. Of course we needed a standard bearer and I had the very person in mind. A young echidna I had noticed recently.

* * *

So it was that, the next day, the City Battalion got into their ranks quickly and quietly. They looked like proper soldiers now, with real weapons and even armour. I was impressed and yet, suspicious. Davink wouldn't tell me where the armour came from and neither would Daniel.

I walked along the front row of the troops, glancing at each one. They stood, staring straight ahead and I reached the end of the line to where Daniel was standing.

"Damn fine turnout". I shouted, making sure my voice was heard throughout the Battalion, "No man even commanded a finer unit".

The nearest grinned and I winked at Daniel. They would be carrying this complainant all day...or until something brought down their spirits. Daniel shouted,

"Yes, sir. I've seen them all and this is the best I've seen".

I smiled and drew my sword, holding it up for all to see. "LET ME HEAR IT!"

At this, the soldiers drew their swords and roared with all their might, hitting their shields with the swords. Then after a minute of this, they stood to attention immediately, making us chuckle quietly. Davink appeared behind us, holding the standard and giving it to me.

"Yes, Malcolm, it's time for you shine again. You will formally introduce them into the Battalion".

Somehow the thought of all these speeches I was giving, was boring everyone to death. I took the standard and walked along the front rank until I came upon the very person I wanted.

"It's Edwards, isn't it?" I asked.

Edwards nodded and I indicated to his shield.

"Drop your shield".

He dropped it and waited. I held out the standard to him.

"I want you to take this and guard it with your very life".

Edwards stared at me, then at the standard and then back at me. "Really?" he asked quietly.

I smiled and nodded. He reached out for the standard slowly, as though he thought it might be a trick. He grasped it firmly and held it in both hands. I gestured him to follow me. Once again, the lack of a proper stage meant we were forced to use the same table from the square, though this time we had two placed together. I climbed up and helped Edwards up as well.

From where we stood, we saw the whole unit and I felt again that warm, fuzzy feeling. These people hadn't seen a weapon before we took them in. Now they were ready for anything Eggman had. I could see that, at the back, Sonic and his friends had come to see this. I smiled. Then I held up my sword and Edwards held up the standard. The whole crowd was silent.

"Raise your swords". I ordered. In less than thirty seconds, it was done.

"We shall take the Battalion oath. Repeat after me". I continued. Then I began.

"I do solemnly swear, on this day..."  
"That I will protect and serve my people..."  
"In striving for the greater good..."  
"Furthermore, I also swear..."  
"That I will defend the standards of the Battalion..."  
"To the last drop of blood. This I swear."

As the soldiers lowered their weapons and the last of the echoes died away, I wondered how anyone could have foreseen this. Everything was different today. Before I came here, my main thought was when I should do my coursework; tonight or tomorrow? Now I was actually commanding five thousand troops to fight, and possibly die, for the defence of this city.

"Take pride today, my friends, as you officially join the City Battalion".

* * *

"Well," Davink folded his arms, "I wondered how you do it, but that wasn't as bad as I thought".

I shrugged. "I just said the first thing that came into my head".

The newly formed Battalion had been dismissed and we were standing on the plain while the last of the soldiers went back to their homes. We watched their chatting to one another, eager to show their family and friends. The individual reactions were left to our imagination.

"I liked the armour, by the way Davink. Where did you get it?"

Davink looked down at his feet. "I would rather not go into too much detail at this stage, Malcolm".

I regarded him with a keen eye. "Davink, are you not telling me something?"

Davink opened his mouth, but I never found out what he was going to say. At that moment, we heard a faint explosion behind us. Turning around, we saw a huge ship rise up from the distance, like the one we had seen on our 'visit' to Eggman. It went straight up into the sky and as we watched, there was another explosion. Another ship appeared. Then there was another explosion and again, there was another ship, sailing silently up to the sky.

My heart sank and I felt a wave of despair wash over me. I knew very well where those ships were going. Across the huge void of space, driving at full speed, Eggman's ships were starting on their way towards Earth.

My home...

More explosions and more ships followed, settling into an almost rhythmical pattern like a drumbeat. I felt Davink's hand on my shoulder.

"Come on," he said, "There's nothing we do".

"For now". I muttered as I walked to the city. I tried not to look back at the spectacle behind me, even when everyone else in the city came to look. Daniel saw us and followed duly as we went to Sonic's apartment. Outside the entrance, there stood Tails, Amy, Knuckles and...

I stopped. Next to Amy was a bat, wearing a white and pink top with black, leather trousers. She had earrings and, from the volume of bags she was carrying, was in the middle of a shopping spree.

Tails looked down from the sky where the ships were still just visible.

"Dave..."

I nodded slowly. This was it. The invasion was starting.

We were at war.

* * *

"Now that Eggman has 'attacked', we must focus on how we are to defeat him, or at least, delay him". Daniel said. "We must come up with a plan. Tails here," here, he gave the two tailed fox a hearty slap on the back, "...shows us the area of battle in great detail".

The map on the table showed the area we had travelled across to get to Eggman. The city, then the plain, the valley. There was another plain before the river, then a forest. Beyond that was Eggman's base. We were once again sat round Sonic's kitchen table (Sonic was out for a run, apparently).

Davink looked at me. "Well? What's the plan?"

I tried to concentrate, but I could still hear the explosion in the distance, telling us that more ships were on their way to Earth.

"Sorry. What did you say?"

"I said, what's the plan?" Davink repeated.

"Well, we have a advantage. When Eggman comes, we will be fight on our own ground. We fortify the city; make barricades and traps to stop Eggman just taking it. Also, we can knock out all the bridges, except one. We defend that bridge until we're ready. We could use the valley as well".

Daniel nodded. "It might work, if we do it right".

"The only problem is," I continued, "is, if we do find a way back to Earth, what do we do?"

"What are you saying?" Daniel asked.

I sighed deeply. "Do we stay here and defend this place or do we go to Earth and help them? Or do we spilt up and go this way and that?"

Davink shrugged. "What difference does it make?"

I clasped my hands together. Eggman was trying to make us chose where to go. We couldn't protect both. We would have to chose, one or the other. Or maybe...maybe we could defend both. It was a risky plan, but commander had to take risks sometimes.

"Can we really go back to Earth, Tails?" I asked.

Tails nodded. "I have a theory, but it needs some adjustments. I could finish tomorrow..."

"Okay". I said. "Tomorrow it is. I just hope it isn't too late".


	17. Home and back

**New chapter. Work's almost finished, but the exams are nearing. I will try to get this done quickly and sooner, but it's hard  
Now, where were we? Ah yes... **

_I was in the bar again. The noises of fun and laughter were there. I heard a rickety, wooden door being opened. Suddenly, there was someone a short distance from where I was standing. I couldn't see his face, but he walked past me, stopped at the counter nearby and removed his hat._

_"Excuse me, sir". he began, again in that cultured, English voice. "Sergeant sent me, sir. He wanted to know..."_

_He stopped, and then started again. "Yes, sir. We fly into Holland at that time then?" He waited; then nodded once. "Where am I to go, sir?"_

_I watched this man with fascination. Behind, an old radio was playing a slow piece of music, but I was approaching the man when he saluted. _

_"Tent number twenty seven. Yes, sir". He put his hat back on, turned round and walked away. As he came to the place where he had appeared, he faded away. The rickety, wooden slammed and all the noise, all the laughter stopped. Silence._

_Then darkness began to blot everything out, a deep darkness through which, no light could penetrate. I felt someone behind me, a hand on my shoulder. A voice said one word..._

_"Revenge..."_

_I trembled. The hand slipped from my shoulder and I heard the person walk round until he was facing me. A tall, hooded man stood there, watching me. I felt myself stiffen and a shiver ran down my spine. I felt the presence of evil around and the figure spoke in a voice that seemed to echo.._

_"Hello, Mr Malcolm. We meet again..."

* * *

_I woke with a start. I felt a cold sweat on my forehead and a slight chill in the early morning air made me shiver. That was the second time the dream had come to me. What did it mean? Did it have something to do with Eggman? I was unsure and my mind was still waking up. Looking around, I saw Daniel and Davink still asleep. I decided to leave like that, since they had earned it. I'd wake them up later.

As I got up, I drew small comfort from the usual sounds of early risers in the city. The explosions had stopped sometime in the night. It did nothing to ease the despair I had. As I got dressed, I wondered whether anyone on Earth would know of the coming danger. How would they react when...if Eggman's robots invaded their land and their homes, destroying all in their path?

I clenched my fists. If Eggman even tried that, then I would deal with him myself. But I didn't have time now.

* * *

"Hi there". Tails greeted with his usual warmth. "You made it".

"How could I not?" I replied. Tails sat me down in his chair, offered a drink (which I declined politely) and then proceeded to show me his work. His 'work' was, in fact, a small, square remote the size of my palm. There were three buttons on the top while the rest had a gem set in, like the one I had found in my pocket. This time, the gem was red.

"This," Tails explained, "is your best chance of getting home. The emerald's power is harnessed in this remote. It needs a lot of power if you want to get to Earth. The buttons on top activate the power and get you through the space-time thing I talked about".

I nodded, trying to absorb it all. My first thought was that I could go home. Tails continued,

"The problem is I haven't tested it so I don't know if it will work".

We both looked at each other and he could tell what I was thinking. No words were needed. He reluctantly handed me the remote and I slowly pressed a button at random

* * *

"So, its possible that we can go back to Earth?" Davink said eventually.

I nodded. After coming back, Tails had asked eagerly if I was successful. I was so excited, I hurriedly told Tails; then rushed back to Sonic's apartment to find the other two waking up. After explaining a few times, the message soon sunk in.

We could do it. The plan we made could work, in theory. Putting it into practice...that was more difficult and it wasn't without its sacrifices or its risks. I could only hope that Eggman would do what I hoped he would.

Davink was nodding slowly to himself. "So we can finally see how the world has changed...if it has".

"It has changed, Davink". I said, "We still have problems, but we have moved on from our mistakes".

"Human nature doesn't change, Malcolm," Davink remarked bitterly, "It just adjusts itself and find ways round rules".

I was going to argue this when I noticed. "Where's Daniel?"

Davink gave a small shrug "He went out for a moment. Don't know where or why..."

I sipped the drink I was holding. I hadn't told the whole story about my visit. I was getting into the habit of keeping back information from everyone, even Davink and Daniel. I told them some gallant lie to stop them asking questions. I had told that I found myself in Times Square in New York. Everything was fine. Life was going on as normal.

The truth was totally different.

* * *

When I pushed the button, the world went dark for a moment. Then, I found myself in a open area and, in the middle was

I had, in fact, ended up in the centre of London, somewhere near a London Underground entrance. I was shocked to see the vast changes in my absence. The newspapers' main headline was something like:

**'Alarm as disappearance in subways increases. Police shut down every subway worldwide.'  
**

The paper went on in a great description of a string of mysterious happenings in the subways. Small units of squads were sent down to investigate over a week ago. They still hadn't come back up. This I learnt by briefly scanning the front page on the abandoned news stand before I left. I was more concerned about what was going on in front of me.

Police and regular army units had stopped a large group of rioters and protesters, carrying signs and some offensive weapons in equal measure. Suddenly a few stones flew out of the crowd, clearly aimed at the signs of authority.

From that moment, all hell broke loose. The police released the dogs they were holding while some holding riot shields moved slowly forward as the crowd broke into a sort of frenzy and charged head-on. The army units raised their weapons, carefully levelling them towards the rioters and large water cannons knocked people out their feet, regardless of policeman, soldier or protester. I saw some small objects flying into the middle of the rioters, and then a mist appeared. Tear gas.  
Barely a minute later, the fight spilled over the whole centre of London with individual battles breaking out here and there. The police soon gained the upper hand and some were literally beating the hell out of these people with batons.

I was shocked. What had happened here? Surely the closing of subways wasn't that drastic. Businesses would suffer of course and England had a reputation for protests, but this rioting...it was too much. As a historian, I had read of violent demonstrations, seen pictures and films about riots and protests, peaceful or otherwise, but to see my country, my home descend into this so quickly, first-hand...

The newspaper I had seen was quickly snatched up. The journalist had given a list of major towns and cities thus affected along with casualty rates. Some riots were still going on apparently. The list ran thus, New York, Montreal, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast along with most European capitals (Paris, Berlin, Madrid and so on).

This was impossible. How could this have happened? The answer was simple. As I pushed the button on the remote, I caught a last glimpse of the riot petering out before I was whipped back to Sonic's world.

* * *

"Malcolm!"

I snapped out of my thoughts to see Daniel standing in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"The troops are gathered up. Sonic and his friends are here as well and we've received a message from Eggman. We're waiting for your orders".

I nodded vaguely. "I'm coming".

Five minutes later, I was standing in front of the troops, reading the neatly typed letter from Eggman.

_'You are beaten already. Prepare your feeble defences and your pathetic army. Tomorrow, we fight'._

_Eggman._

I scrupled the note up in my hand and threw it over my shoulder. It made little difference when Eggman was attacking; all that mattered now was the plan. I cleared my throat.

"Soldiers of the City Battalion," I began, "Our enemy is ready for tomorrow's attack. We need to stop Eggman here". I paused, then shouted,

"DO YOU WANT TO SEE SONIC LOCKED UP?"

"NO!" They shouted back.

"DO YOU WANT SEE ROBOTS ON THE STREET CORNERS?"

"NO!"

"DO YOU WANT TO CALL EGGMAN YOUR EMPROER?"

"NO!"

"STANDARD BEARER, TAKE THE TROOPS OUT OT THE TRAINING GROUND AND WAIT FOR ME THERE".

There was a great cheer as they marched confidently out. I watched the last ones march down the street, and then turned to Sonic's apartment. When I got there, everyone was waiting. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy...everyone. I walked to the table and leaned the surface with both hands.

"Okay," I said after a while, "Here's the plan..."


	18. The battle begins

**Really sorry about not updating. Coursework is almost finished, but there is still revision to do. I wait hopefully for any comments about this story. **

It was a cold, clammy dawn next day. The first rays of the sun spread lazily over the land. All was quiet in the forest, save for the early birds and a small breeze in the trees. I looked up at the leaves and the branches, the way they swayed gently in the wind. Funny how impending doom made you notice all these things. Beside me, Edwards was holding grimly onto the standard with a calm composure though he was trying not to show fear.

I was just as nervous. Everything we could do was almost done. The city, the defences, the strategy. Now came the difficult part, the execution. We waited for half an hour before Edwards pointed at something in front. A robot came out of the bushes, took one look at us and disappeared. More waiting followed. I tried hard not to fidget or show I was impatient at this point.

Soon Eggman came out in the same metal bowl I had seen on my first visit. He floated silently to us. I glanced to see Edwards tremble slightly and I put my hands behind my back, trying to show myself as an unshakeable opponent. Eggman stopped in front of us and made a big show of looking round. Finally he smiled.

"You don't seem to give up easily, do you? No army, no Sonic, no hope and still, you stand against me".

I smiled back. "The last person who said that about us human beings posioned himself in his own bunker. Think you can do better?"

"Don't play with me, boy. You probably went to warn your people about my plans. I thought you would and I was right".

I clenched my fists. He guessed! He must have known we would do it. We didn't know we would end up where we did. Hopefully the Speaker would recover from his wounded pride (from Daniel) and the broken finger (from Davink). The speech was fairly short for us, mainly due to Security making attempts to stop us. But our task was done, now we had to pray people listened.

"What difference does that make?"

"I'm a kind man, Malcolm, so I'll make a deal with you. Accept my offer and I will withdraw my armies from Earth and you will save millions of lives".

I raised my eyebrow a little. "Go on".

Eggman leaned back and continued, "First, this planet will surrender and your Battalion will disband itself. Second, you will hand Sonic and his friends to me. Third, you and your human friends will leave and never come back. Everything was going fine for me until you arrived"

"That's a matter of opinion, my friend. I can't accept any of your offers right now. As of now, we're at war".

Eggman nodded once. "So be it". He turned his machine and made his way back to the bushes. I stood firm as ever, watching him leave and knowing that we were going to fight. There was a long pause after Eggman went and the tension became unbearable.

Then, slowly, the robots began to appear. A few stumbled through the bushes, but every second, more and more came into view. They walked slowly with the same weapons we had seen; lances, handguns and shields with a few bazookas here and there. As we watched, the front rank neared our position and Edwards raised the standard.

"Wait". I said firmly. Edwards stopped and I watched. The robots came nearer and nearer and more were following them. I nodded. Edwards swung the standard carefully from side to side while I cupped my hands and shouted,

"NOW!"

A great roar was heard as our soldiers sprang from their hiding places in the wood and smashed into the robot from two sides. Unprepared, the robots panicked, as I hoped they would, and didn't resist while the Battalion made quick work of their enemies. As the last ones came into the battle, I could only watch as I fleetingly saw Daniel and Davink going at the robots, shouting encouragement to the troops. As robots fell in numbers, there was a swelling of pride in my chest. We had trained these people from nothing and so far, we had the upper hand.

But I also knew that if they didn't get out, the robots would quickly fight back. We were losing the element of surprise and needed to fall back to the bridge.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK! TO ME". I shouted. I heard Davink shout something, and then the soldiers began to quickly break off from the fight towards me. The number fighting began to thin. The robots tried a quick counter-attack, but discipline and courage prevailed. Eventually they fell back a bit as the last of the soldiers went to the standard.

"Form up and fall back to the valley". I ordered. "Keep it tight and follow the standard".

As they jogged across the bridge, I surveyed our handiwork. All but one bridge was down. The last one we had spared was narrow and could hold three people abreast. Perfect.

The last soldier over the bridge, I turned to Davink and Daniel. This was phase two: the stand-off. Now we had lost the element of surprise, the robots would be more cautious. The three of us were to defend the bridge and buy time for our friends. Victory may depend on how long we could hold here. We nodded at each other.

"Gentlemen," I said quietly, "It's been an honour".

Daniel smiled. "Likewise".

We looked towards the robots and saw they were advancing more cautiously towards us. We quickly locked our shields together and I drew my sword. As the robots came out of the forest, they charged and we braced ourselves for the impact. I bit my lip and forced myself to keep calm. A robot came towards me and I focused on it only.

_Mum, Dad. I will come back.

* * *

_"Hey, guys," the girl ran into her friends excitedly. "You got to see this".

"What is it?" One asked.

"Just come and look". She ran straight out again and her friends, after a moment, followed. As they came out, they saw instantly what it was that was wrong.

"Oh my God". Someone whispered.

They saw a huge ship slowly and silently drift down towards them. A crowd was gathering and someone was fiddling with a portable radio until...

_...And this is yet another report of giant ships appearing over many major cities. The UN has declared a state of global emergency. The report of a warning video from three British teenagers is being examined carefully and the President is ordering National Guard units into subways everywhere in America._

_In other news, the British Government has publicly apologised for not wanting to celebrate the sixty-fifth anniversary of D-Day and are setting matters right. The opposition parties have condemned the action as 'utterly disgusting' and despicable'._

The crowd, however, was not interested in the last part. A young man clutched something round his neck and was praying softly. A few people crossed themselves while others smply stared at the ship, a beautiful yet disturbing sight.


	19. Barricades and bridges

"Sir, we're almost done. Evacuations are under way".

"Very good, Private". The major nodded to the other men. "See to the barricade".

"Yes, sir".

"Have we heard anything of those boys yet? The ones who tried to warn us?"

"No word, sir".

"Very good. Dismissed".

The soldier saluted and made his way to the barricade being set up. As the soldiers worked on their crude defence, the road was awash with refugees, people from the city of London and beyond. Women walking wearily, children stumbled, the tears on their faces mixed with mud and dirt. The men expressed their anger and bitterness quietly; the rich lords and government officials rubbed shoulders with the outcasts and the poor, while here and there, the wounded soldiers were supported in the exodus of Southern England.

The major watched this with a calm, experienced gaze. He had seen his fair share of war and strife, but London attacked...this brought the unwelcome reality home. Britain hadn't been invaded successfully in a thousand years, but this seemed different. The major willed himself to slowly walk to a soldier, who watched the distant city with binoculars. The soldier turned to the major and shook his head. No sign yet.

The major looked on and saw smoke rising from the capital city. There was something sinister about all this. The United States and Canada were in turmoil, but the armed forces were ready, albeit scattered and confused. Europe was in the middle of a furious debate on what to do while in the East; Russia, China and India were mobilizing their own forces with great speed and (one hoped) precise orders.

The major shook his head. All he and his small band of men could do was hold out here until reinforcements came. That is, if the new emergency government would listen to the army commanders and sends them to sort this mess out...If not...

Suddenly a woman screamed. The crowd looked back, then with one will, began to surge forwards. One soldier pointed to the distance as the others readied their weapons. The major squinted his eyes to see what had caused the commotion and stared.

It wasn't what he thought it was.

* * *

Tails was also watching carefully as the first of the Battalion came in. They made their way to the pre-designated positions, either with Sonic or Knuckles. The valley would be part of the plan, to buy time for everyone in the city. They had received no word from them since they left, even from the radios they had. The soldiers coming in could only say that their commanders had stayed behind.

Tails gritted his teeth. If anything happened, the whole plan was doomed to failure.

* * *

The first robot lunged with his lance towards me. Instinct made me raise my shield, blocking the blow and I stabbed my sword to the robot's direction. The sound of tearing metal and the feeling of hitting something made me smile. I withdrew my sword and prepared for the next opponent. This time, a robot with a shield slowly came to me. He wasn't about to fall for the same trick. Time for something different.  
I swung the sword towards it and, as I knew it would; it blocked the blow, but left it vulnerable. I used the momentum to swing the shield towards it. The heavy shield smashed into the robot, felling it like a tree. As it struggled to get up, a quick blow with the sword rendered it useless.

Even with this early success, I could see there were far more to deal with. A quick glance showed that Davink and Daniel were busy with their fallen foes as well. There was no finesse to our fighting; now we were fighting just to survive, to get back home-if we could get out of this.

And suddenly, there was the feeling of calm. No more responsibility, no more this, no more that. Somehow, (in a way, even now, I can never explain), I felt ready to die, to face the next enemy. But as I waited, the robots began to fall back. We stood stunned for a moment, then Daniel whispered,

"What's happening?"

Before either of us could answer, more robots appeared. Instead of charging towards us, they calmly readied their chosen weapons-laser handguns and bazookas and aimed carefully. I heard Davink say something, then,

"GET DOWN! SHIELDS UP!"

As we moved to huddle behind our shields, the air suddenly came alive with the sounds of lasers blasts and the bazookas firing. The lasers bounced and ricocheted off the shields, each one causing a small, but noticeable dent in the metal. The larger missiles fell short or wide of us, but we weren't sure whether that was deliberate or just a bad aim.

"Stay put. We can wait it out". Davink shouted.

I wanted to shout back, but I didn't. Something was wrong. The idea seemed simple; take out the enemy from a distance. But there was a nagging feeling in my head. Why not just charge us? Eggman would lose robots of course, but with an army this size, it was a relatively small sacrifice to pay. I looked over to the others and Daniel met my gaze. He was thinking the same thing, I could tell. Then he spotted something over my shoulder and his mouth fell open. I followed his gaze.

A few robots were doing something to one of the bridges we had destroyed. One stood up and I saw what it was holding. A welding torch. They were building new bridges out of spare parts, parts that may have come from us pushing them back.

"Bloody hell". Daniel muttered. "That is genius".

Davink must have heard him because he turned round to check a bridge on his side.

"They're doing here as well. Damn me, who would have thought it?"

I said nothing. The fact that we had practically given the robots these parts made me feel sick. Every robot we stopped was helping Eggman cross the river. While this barrage of fire was still going on, there was nothing we could do to stop it, unless we wanted to get killed.

There was only one option left.

"Retreat!" I shouted. "Fall back to the valley. Davink..."

He nodded. We slowly backed away, making sure we stuck together. If any gap appeared, we were dead. The robots must have realised this because the fire grew even fiercer. The dents were becoming more frequent. As Daniel and I prepared to run, Davink reached into his pocket and drew out a remote with one button on it.

I couldn't help breathing heavily from fear as I moved from the bridge. My first thought was that I was going to die here. The thought of this and my family mourning for their loss almost brought a tear to my eye. I peeped over the shield and saw, to my horror, that the whole army was rushing to cross the last remaining bridge, now undefended by the interfering humans.

Davink pressed the button...

* * *

"Any sign yet?" Knuckles approached Tails slowly. Tails turned and shook his head.

"Nothing. They should have reported back by now".

Knuckles clenched his fists, then, seeing a small stone on the ground, he picked it up and threw with all his might towards the direction of Eggman's territory. It flew high and far before it dipped and disappeared.

"Wow". Tails stared at the distance.

Then the peace was ripped apart by the sound of an explosion in the distance. All who were there stopped and came to look and see what had happened. The noise faded until there was silence only again. Tails remembered his binoculars and began to search the horizon for any sign of humans...


	20. The fight on Earth

**Sorry folks. Work has to come first, but since it's the holidays, I have a bit more time at hand to continue this story.**

The explosion almost knocked us off our feet. The nearest robots were blasted away; which gave us time to run a short distance. We knew that that Eggman would try to get across the bridge somehow, but we never expected that he would build new bridges out of robots parts. Had we not seen it sooner, we wouldn't have survived very long. We would not make the same mistake twice. Right now though, our main priority was sticking to the plan.

I felt like a traitor while I drew out the remote Tails made for us. Even if it was the only way we could get to Earth, our friends needed us to help stop Eggman. I checked to see if Daniel and Davink were ready, then pushed the button...

* * *

The cold wind blew down through the valley as the men toiled to make their defence as strong as possible. The ominous, black clouds above, that threatened rain, seemed to be an omen in itself. The small band of men worked as fast as they could, for they knew that elsewhere, other units were working to stop or delay the enemy. They dragged objects out of the abandoned houses, helped each other carry the heavier items to their barriers.

As they worked, one man stood back a bit to view their work and to look into the distance. He wore a bulky fur coat that warmed him against the bitter cold. He held his weapon tight in both hands and his grey eyes took in the surroundings. Like his father and his grandfather before him, he had joined the army and now he was facing perhaps more terrible than any thing his family had ever seen. But he and his men would not go down without a decent fight. On his sleeve was his insignia, his hard-fought-for rank that told people who and what he was.

Sergeant Dimitri Volkov.

One of the men pointed in the distance and shouted a warning to his friends. Dimitri calmly walked down to see what it was. He thought it improper to run. As he came nearer, he could faintly see it was a band of men. He smiled as he saw who was leading them.

"Grigor, my friend". He shouted.

Grigor shouted a greeting back and came quickly up to his old friend.

"How are things?"

Dimitri shrugged. "Not bad. You've got catching up to do."

Grigor smiled. He frowned a bit when a young soldier came towards him. His expression was one of confusion and amazement.

"Sir, there is someone behind us. He just appeared out of nowhere. It looks like a boy, sir".

* * *

"HOW DARE YOU!" The general shouted at the top of his voice. "YOU WANT ME TO ORDER A RETREAT?"

"I do". The stranger replied.

The general breathed deeply. "My unit has never retreated. We've have never lost a battle yet".

"You won't have a unit if you don't get out of here".

"But this is..."

I know what this place it is, but there is no choice. If you don't order a retreat now, your men will be slaughtered".

The general rubbed his temples as if to ease his nerves. This campaign to stop the robots was turning into a disaster. His men were cut off, the morale of the soldiers and the civilians was low. The robots even had the brains to ambush the men in the centre, coming from the subways and sewers. Yet the orders were clear; occupy and re-take all cities at any and all cost. The robots must not harm the American people or take the American land without a fight.  
This operation wasn't any more successful than the other that was going on in every other major city. No one could understand why the American army, the most advanced military in the world, couldn't defeat so simple a foe. Now this person was demanding that his unit retreated.

The general looked again at this man. There was something about this person that made him look at him. He looked like any ordinary teenager; despite the sword and shield he carried. His tousled, dark hair made him look the part certainly. And those eyes...  
The general couldn't hold back a shudder looking at them. They were like a cat's, fiery yet calm. They seemed to see everything and the general felt as if those eyes were staring into his soul. He looked at the scene around him as the radio near him continued to scream orders.

"Fine. But this isn't the end. We will come back for New York".

Davink nodded as the general turned to his men and ordered the retreat. He didn't want them to retreat, but sometimes, the men came first. The mission the general was following could wait...for now.

When the general looked back, Davink was gone.

* * *

"Well, it's a fine story, I must say". The major scratched his head. Around him, the men listened attentively as they waited for their orders. Daniel finished his shortened story quickly. The major ordered his men back to their posts while he talked to Daniel.

"What the situation?"

The major motioned him to follow. At the foot of the barricade lay the wild animals that had tried to attack the travellers earlier. It was after the attack that Daniel had arrived and the road was now quiet with the odd person carrying their possessions away from the oncoming terror. Daniel looked round.

"Where's the delaying squad?"

"We're it".

Daniel turned to the major. They were no more than twenty, maybe thirty soldiers here. They were outnumbered, low on supplies and ammunition and, by the sound of the major's voice, he could guess that reinforcements were a long way off. This defence was only prolonging the inevitable for the men around them...and possibly for the country. Still, if they succeeded...

"I have...something to care of, Major, but I'll be back soon". Daniel promised.

"Sir, enemies in the distance!"

The major hurried to the man who had shouted. He took the binoculars and focused them to the distant horizon. The robots seemed to be miles away, but they were gaining speed and headed right towards them.

"Weapons out, lads. Let's give something to remember!".

The major turned to Daniel, only to find that he had disappeared.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Tails asked frantically as the two humans came towards him. "The robots will be here soon".

"Business. Just checking to see how Earth's doing". Davink answered. "Still we're here now to face the foe, all of us".

"Not quite". Daniel interrupted. "Someone isn't here. Three guesses who it is".

* * *

"What you see is what you get, Mr Malcolm". Dimitri moved his arm to indicate the whole area we saw. I nodded. Translation wasn't a problem due to the magic. It wasn't perfect, but it saved me learning a language in two weeks. Dimitri continued,

"There is still no word from Moscow, apart from our orders. We don't think there will be any reinforcements so if you really have come to help, just remember you're on your own".

"Sergeant," I began, "I will try to help, but I have...other things to take care of. Promise me one thing?"

He turned and nodded as I went on.

"Promise me you leave some for me when I come back?"

He held out his hand and gave a little smile. "Only if you buy us all a drink when this is all over".

I shook his hand. "Done. And, by the way, the name's Dave".

He smiled as he turned his head back to his men, making the finishing touches to their 'wall'. I can imagine his surprise when he turned back to me and found I was gone.

* * *

"Took your time, Malcolm". Davink grumbled. "The robots are almost here".

I shrugged. "I was only gone a few minutes...I think".

Davink scoffed at this as I checked my shield and drew my sword. Around the soldiers of the City Battalion talked quietly among themselves. I saw Sonic some way down the line. He winked at me, quietly confident of victory. We all knew that our friends in the city were waiting for us while they worked. This valley would help buy us all precious time. Not just on this planet.

Ahead of us, the robots came in sight, marching slowly in step. They had obviously rebuilt the bridges while we were gone. Then, without warning, they charged for us.

We readied ourselves for the blow to come.


	21. The city Part 1

**Really sorry for not updating sooner. The exams are nearly three, four weeks away. I will finish though. Also a new character in the saga. Thanks to SoujaGurl for letting us the character for this story. And now...**

Amy Rose watched the distance, searching for any sign of her friends. She was worried that anything had happened. No word had been received from the radios. What was the point in these things if they were never going use them?

Men.

"Excuse me".

Amy turned to the voice and saw an echidna with brown fur and blue eyes. She had black braids rather than locks like Knuckles. She was wearing black jeans, a white striped shirt with a bow on it and gold studs with a few bracelets with white air shoes on her feet. The two swords she was carrying caught Amy's attention. They were long and curved swords and the blades shone brightly when the light hit them. They were obvious well looked after.

"Can I help you?"

The stranger smiled. "I came to meet the humans. I have a proposition for them about the Chaos Emeralds".

"But we don't have them all. Who are you?"

"Karen" She replied with a smile.

Then someone shouted. "It's the City Battalion. They're coming".

* * *

The robots were once again hoping to break our lines with brute force like they tried on the bridge. The units stayed close together, shields locked just as we had taught them. My body began to shake again as the first of the army began to drive towards us. They seemed to fall into us rather than push us. They soon crowded round the shields, trying to be the first robots to break through the line. But the packed robots couldn't use their lances to full effect in the small space provided.

This was where the short sword, the gladius, excelled, the stabbing action needed little space and could decimate forces in small areas. The very reason we had chosen that weapon and the location. I gave all I had, thrusting the sword to any exposed metal of the robots and blocking blows with the shield. But I felt drained, tired. I hardly got any sleep the night before, nervous of the plan and worrying about my friends and family, compounded with the early morning and the fighting since then...  
I drew my sword out the latest robot to fall. The fight seemed to go our way, but I felt I couldn't go on. Only iron will and the thought of my home going up in flames gave me energy to deliver a fatal blow and to raise the shield to block a blow from a lance. But as I worked, the blank faces of the robots faded, then disappeared. I stopped and so did everyone.

They were retreating. We had done it. Or had we?

As the robots ran away, more came forward and showed their weapons as they held them up to fire. I knew what came next.

"SHIELDS UP!"

The soldiers quickly obeyed, in time for a barrage of fire to come in from the front. The shields held for now, but it wouldn't last. We were vulnerable to another hand-to-hand fight like this and if Eggman had artillery, we would be slaughtered. We couldn't stay like this forever. Someone had to make a move, even if the robots fired at them, which was part of the plan.

"SONIC! KNUCKLES! GO NOW!" I shouted.

As I peered cautiously over the rim of the shield, Sonic and Knuckles made their units on the flanks move slowly forward, leaving the middle section behind. The barrage intensified as they stopped a few yards from us, relieving the pressure from our section completely.

"CHARGE".

In a single moment, the middle section surged forward like a tidal wave. The robots didn't have time to move to us before we were on them. All my fear and worry turned into anger and strength. My sword found its way easily into the metal of the robots and the shield blocked any blows coming my way. But I felt different somehow, like I wasn't myself. Suddenly I was aware that the robots were disappearing, running away again. I looked round to see Sonic and Knuckles cheering with the others. Looking back, we were about a hundred yards from the barricades...

The barricades! There was no there! If Eggman took them now...

"Form up!" I shouted over the din. "Fall back to positions. Gather weapons and fall back".

Then the air was alive with shots. The robots were firing back with a vengeance. Some who had been celebrating fell with shouts and cries and were hurriedly picked up by others. The rest quickly formed up and locked their shields together so no shots could get through.

"Davink, mark time."

He nodded. "One". Everyone took a step back towards the barricades. "Two". Another step.

All the time, laser shots flew past us or hit the shields with a dull thud like a stone. All the time, Davink called time in a loud, even voice. Daniel somewhere on the other side would peep over the shield. A laser shot almost hit him in the forehead. The robots were getting wise to our tactics, but not all of them.

"MALCOLM!"

I looked over my own shield and saw, to my horror, that Eggman did indeed have something in reserve. There was no way we could hold now. There was that one option again...

"All units, retreat. We can't hold here now. Tails, lead them back".

One by one, everyone followed Tails and carefully made their way to the barricade, then running. The important thing was that we didn't all just run all the same time. If we did and we fell, we wouldn't get up. Eventually, nearly everyone had made their way to the barricade. Now there was only Davink, Daniel, Sonic, Knuckles and myself. The new firing then stopped. Recovering from this, we then saw the robots advancing towards us with their close range weapons. We backed away. All but one...

"KNUCKLES!" Sonic shouted. Knuckles looked back at us calmly and nodded. Then, with a roar, he threw himself into the coming enemy. I moved forward, but Daniel stopped me.

"Malcolm, not now. We must go. There is nothing we can do for him".

So we ran, leaving Knuckles to his undecided fate.

* * *

"Why did you let him do that?" I demanded angrily as soon we reached the city and stopped. Sonic had gone to tell the rest of the gang about Knuckles. Rouge would have my head.

Davink lowered his shield. "He bought us time, Malcolm. But, right now, we need to organise the people here and wait".

"I can't just leave him! We need to..."

"No, Malcolm, its too late. We've got bigger problems".

Daniel nodded over my shoulder. We turned to see Amy. I started to see a brown furred, blue-eyed echidna walking with her.

"Guys," Amy said nervously, "This is Karen. She wants to talk to you". Karen stepped forward and I saw that she held no fear or surprise in her eyes, only amusement.

"I want to help you in your...resistance. I have an idea about the chaos emeralds, but I need you to prove yourselves".

"Look," I began, "We don't have time for this. We've got two planets to save and Knuckles is down".

She stopped for a moment, a hint of concern betraying her for a split second to be replaced by that same look of amusement.

"I request a duel to prove yourselves. It doesn't matter who wins, I will still help...especially if you have the Chaos Emeralds. But I just want to see who's better. Unless you're scared".

I opened my mouth to say something when she produced two long, curved swords in both hands out of nowhere. I stopped myself. She held them out towards me, smiling as she did. Daniel drew his own sword and checked his shield grip.

"Stand back, lads. I'll take this one".

We obliged as the two fighters now circled each other slowly, looking for an opening. We couldn't help watching this, but I was still thinking. Thinking of what to do, how to do it.  
Then Karen struck first. She sped forward. Her swords flashed briefly as each time she swung the swords and each time Daniel blocked or parried each blow until he leapt back and her swing missed by miles. Now he charged forward, shield outstretched towards her. He was hoping to knock her off balance, but she nimbly stepped out the way, then brought her swords up to stop the blow from his sword. The swords were locked for a brief moment, then they were released and Daniel backed off quickly. Now they circled each other again, but with more caution.

The girl was amazing in this fight. Her skill with the swords was only matched by her agility. Her balance was flawless and she moved with the grace of a ballet dancer. But Daniel had an advantage with the shield and his skill with weapons, as I had briefly seen in training, was second to none. She was a rare catch and might make a excellent officer. It would have been interesting to watch the rest, but I was aware of Davink's hand on my shoulder.

"Come on. We'll check later".

We were no more than ten paces from the duel when Shadow came to us calmly and with a stern face.

"Message from Eggman. He wants to talk to you alone".

"Where is he?" I asked, noticing Davink's pointed silence.

"Outside the city. He's alone too...with the army not far behind him".


	22. The city Part 2

**Hey guys, another chapter here. Got a new forum on my profile and the story continues...**

I scanned the horizon and saw a faint smudge in the distance. Not far away, Eggman was sitting in his metal bowl waiting for me. Davink stood next to me and behind us; the duel between Karen and Daniel became a sort of melody.

"Seems alright to me".

Davink shook his head. He pulled a bottle from somewhere and took a long drink before replying.

"I'm not so sure, Malcolm. He may just be tricking us. We've still got a lot to learn from this one".

I couldn't help agreeing. Eggman was a cunning foe and we had come close to death on two occasions. Davink continued,

"He may present some ultimatum to you. If he tries to charge at you, use your speed and skill to dodge and defeat him. Got your weapons?"

I nodded. My shield was secured tightly to my arm and my sword by my side. I looked like something out of an action movie.

"How's Rouge?"

Davink shrugged. "She's handing it well-ish. I don't blame her for worrying".

Rouge had gone quiet when Sonic had told her. She was at home now with Amy, out of harm's way...for now.

"Good luck, Malcolm". Davink said quietly as I walked out of the city.

* * *

"Well, Mr Malcolm, you are indeed persistent. It's a shame really".

"Why? I asked curiously.

"Because you would have fitted perfectly into my new world".

I waved a hand impatiently. "Get to the point. What do you want?"

Eggman leaned back slowly. "Same terms as before. Surrender of the planet and the Battalion. Slight amendment however. Give me Sonic and Tails and I will give you Knuckles back".

I mused silently. It was a generous offer, but could anyone accept it? Eggman went on,

"Also, since you want to save your people so much, I request a duel between my best and you. I will explain the rules better if you accept".

"I need to discuss this with my friends". I said after a moment's thought, "Could you give some time, fifteen minutes?"

"I told you I was a kind man. Thirty minutes or I will attack and you will never see Knuckles again. Go on, Mr Malcolm, tell your friends I said hello".

As I walked away, my thoughts were spinning round like mad in my head. There was a chance to save everyone right in front of me, but at what price?

* * *

"Daniel!" I exclaimed as I came towards Davink. "Who won?"

Daniel muttered something, but Davink smiled smugly and nudged him. "Go on, tell him".

"A draw".

I almost laughed. "A draw!"

Daniel shuffled uncomfortably. "I won the duel easily. I had her on the ground, completely disarmed, but she suggested a re-match. I agreed and we had an arm wrestling contest. She won every time, even when I used magic. Still, a gentlemen always lets a lady win".

I bit my lip to stop myself howling with laughter, especially when Karen walked to us and winked at me. Davink had obviously done it first as his smug appearance showed.

"Did you talk to Eggman then?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied and I told them all what he said.

"What you think then?" Daniel asked.

I thought for a moment. "I don't think I've so many lies since the Labour Party came to power. Even so, I should help save the people by accepting the duel".

Daniel made to say something, but I stopped him. Everyone went quiet and I knew what they were thinking. Then someone spoke up.

"You're not going without me, Dave".

* * *

So it was that I walked back to Eggman with Sonic beside me, with the Battalion gathered round the barricade I had gone over to get to Eggman. I could see still see their faces when I announced my intention to accept the duel, when I told them it was to save everyone. I could hear them muttering 'good luck, sir' as I left, Sonic in tow.

Eggman hadn't moved from his place, but beside him, under a heavy guard of robots, was Knuckles. There was something else hidden under a blanket on Eggman's other side. We stopped short of Eggman and I drew my sword slowly.

"I accept the challenge".

Eggman rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. The rules are simple. You will fight to the death. Win and I will destroy you all. Lose and everyone will be saved. Take it or we're done".

"I'll do it". I said. I could hear something like bells ringing in my ears. I knew what I was doing, or so I thought.

"Well then, meet your executioner". Eggman smiled and grabbed the blanket with one hand, pulling it away to reveal...

"You, Mr Malcolm. Or rather the Egg-Nemesis. He has a Chaos Emerald inside him wired to his brain. He knows every skill you know, every thought you have in your head. He even has your sword and shield".

He turned to the robot admiringly while I looked on. It was indeed an exact replica of me.

"As for Sonic, he can deal with my guard and try to free Knuckles".

Sonic needed no further encouragement. He was already heading towards Knuckles. I could see what Eggman was doing. While Sonic was freeing Knuckles, he wouldn't be around to save me. I was on my own now. Eggman fiddled with something in front of him and the robot moved forward. I readied the shield and sword.  
Suddenly the robot moved in a blur, almost slamming the sword down on the shield. Each blow that fell was like a hammer and my arm went numb after a while. I moved the sword to block a blow. The nemesis responded with its shield, blocking my blow. Soon it moved quickly back and I did as well. I felt I was being toyed with, but I didn't have much choice. The nemesis was now moving from side to side, hoping to catch me off guard. I charged home with the shield, only for the nemesis to slam his shield at mine at the last minute.

The clash of shields almost knocked me off balance. I steadied myself...just in time for a fresh onslaught from the robot. This time, the robot moved round and round me, looking a weak point in my defence. It raised its sword for an overhead blow. I moved my shield up; too late to realise it was a trick. The robot's sword moved down, slashing at my leg.

The pain. It was enough to make me throw myself forward. A shield came up to meet me and the impact made me fall back onto the ground. I tried to get up only for a large foot to step on my chest, driving the breath from my lungs. The blade rested inches from my throat and I heard Eggman's voice,

"Don't feel too bad, Malcolm. Your death will save everyone".

Then he uttered two words that sealed my fate.

"Finish him".


	23. Rescue and Death

**I should be revising, not writing this story and using SoujaGurl's character for my own needs. Still that's life. I may not update for ages, but I will try my best. I have officially left school now and it's quite emotional...hopefully like this chapter...  
**

There is a belief in today's world that, when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. So when my robotic nemesis raised the sword to strike, that's what I expected. But all I remember seeing was my family, my friends and...her. The girl I knew once from nine, no, ten years ago. Where did she go? Her hair, her face. They were so close now. And that voice...

"NO!"

I was pulled back to reality. There was a voice, a girl's voice that I had heard before. The robot looked up and I turned on to my front in time to see Amy, Karen and in front of them was...

"Ally?"

She probably didn't hear for some reason. She ran straight towards the robot, sword drawn and ready to strike. She leaped up and the next time I saw, she plunged her sword into the arm of the robot. It gave a sort of groan and staggered back a few paces. Then it was Amy's turn. She brought this large hammer and hit it hard into the robot. Each blow drove it back a few inches and I swear I felt the earth underneath me shake with each hit.  
Karen, however, decided to grab me and drag me away from this, just as Daniel had when we escaped from the robots. This meant that I saw what happened next. The robot wasn't completely defeated as it grabbed Amy's hammer and lifted her up off the ground. Then a blue blur appeared, but before it came close, the robot swung the sword and by luck, it hit Sonic. It was barely a cut, but it disrupted his movement and he missed the robot. I suddenly fell back and by the time I had propped myself up, Karen was plunging her swords deeper into the robot's 'heart' with Amy being helped up by Ally. Sonic was inspecting the robot.

While this was happening, I saw my own sword lying on the ground. Picking it up quickly, I made my way to Knuckles who was now alone. He saw what I intended to do and held out his arms. The sword cut right through the chains and Knuckles was free. As we came back to the others, the robot was lying on its back, a last whine as its power faded away.

And as I looked up, Eggman was already too far away to deal with. He must have been nearly half a mile away. I felt sick inside. This rescue had sealed our fate. I was supposed to die, but I didn't and now...

"Guys, we need to get back now".

"Why?" Karen looked faintly amused at my panic. "We got Knuckles and you".

"Look, perhaps..."

I never finished the sentence. A laser shot was heard close by and before anything could be done, Ally gave a cry of pain and fell down. I rushed to her and saw the shot had hit her in the shoulder. She gritted her teeth as the blood began to show. I felt a lump in my throat and tears came to my eyes, but didn't fall.

Then Daniel and Davink came to us. Daniel picked Ally up gently as you would a child. She looked so small when Daniel held her. Karen joined Davink in taking Knuckles back while Sonic helped me up and hurried back with Amy and me in tow. I couldn't help watching Ally as we went back.

* * *

THUMP.

That was the sound that was heard as Rouge used her handbag with attached buckles in an attempt to batter Daniel and Davink to death. So far, she had succeeded in making them fall on their knees, begging for mercy. I was spared so far, but that couldn't last. She came over to me and gave me her frostiest look.

"And what were YOU, of all people thinking? Leaving Knuckles out there?"

"Well, actually..."

THUMP. Rouge gave me an idea on what buckles can do to your head. And trust me, it hurts.

"Had me worried sick, wondering what could have happened to him".

"But Rouge, nothing did happen to him".

THUMP. This time she hit the stomach, almost winding me. She went for another hit, but Karen stopped her. As she carefully took the handbag away from her, I straightened up and breathed.

"Even?"

Karen looked at me and grinned. Then, with sure aim, went straight for man's greatest weak spot. Needless to say, the pain was unbelievable and I joined the other two on the floor, on my knees. Karen sniggered,

"Yeah, I think we're even".

As they walked away, I turned to see Daniel's face and Davink's face. No words were needed. We were thinking the same thing, even as we pulled the remotes out.

_Women._

_

* * *

_"So, Mr Malcolm, you made it back alive". Dimitri's greeting lifted my spirits, but not much. Seeing a friend on a hospital bed, not knowing if they will live long cannot be forgotten.

"I'm glad you made it, my English friend. The robots have been sighted just now. Now we fight".

As he said this, he handed me a sub-machine gun and made his way to his men. I couldn't move for a while. I had never held a real gun in my life, let alone fire one. I wasn't using them against humans, true, but the power, the feeling of holding this gun...I could decide someone fate with this. I could kill them or wound them, cripple them, turn against soldiers or civilians...or even myself. It frightened me and I almost dropped the gun.

Was this how my Granddads felt?

I made myself walk to where Dimitri had gone, to the barricade with my new comrades. I saw the robots instantly as they ran to us. I raised the gun to my shoulder and aimed down the sight. They were coming nearer and nearer.

"OPEN FIRE!"

A hail of bullet followed Dimitri's order from all sides, including me. The robots took several bullets each before they fell, but for each one that fell, another took its place. This hail of fire couldn't continue forever and soon enough, some of the men began reloading their weapons. The robots stopped short of us and I knew what came next. I stopped firing and shouted,

"HEADS DOWN! NOW!"

Fortunately the majority listened to me. Those few who didn't and stayed up, only they saw the robots raise their weapons and opened fire with lasers and missiles. Those few fell where they stood and I watched helplessly as they were carefully dragged away while the air singed with the lasers. Then it stopped. Now the game was cat and mouse. A few would straightened up, fire as many shots as possible, then duck back as the lasers tried in vain to hit us. I noticed that they didn't try to blast through the barricade. Maybe they were unfamiliar with the materials we used or maybe they were just trying to make feel nervous. Make us feel jumpy and make a mistake. I took my turn in firing. I braced myself, then rose up and pulled the trigger. I kept the trigger there so the bullets sped towards the robots. I took my finger off and ducked down as the robots returned fire.

Then I heard a cry of pain again. I looked to see Dimitri fall to the ground. I rushed to him, shouting for a medic, but as I came to him, I could see he was too far gone. The laser had hit him inches from the heart and he was losing blood by the second. He gasped for breath and I held his hand tightly. The lump in my throat returned.

"Malcolm..." he gasped, and then coughed. He started again. "Malcolm, I...I want you to...to take command".

I stared at him. "No," I whispered, "No, stay with us. You'll be alright".

"Look after..my...my love...please".

"Dimitri, no".

"Goodbye, Mr Malcolm. I'm sorry..."

His head fell back and his hand grew limp. He gave a last, shuddering breath and it came out as a long sigh. His eyes closed, asleep forever. I gave a small choke. I had seen death once, but never on a friend like this. I vaguely felt the tears trickle down my cheeks and sadness gave way to confusion, then anger, hatred.

And that is all I can write about on Dimitri.


	24. The city Part 3

**I've got next week free for half term. After that, it's hectic, but there is enough time to (hopefully) finish this story. **

"Gentlemen, today we avenge those who have lost, as we have. This is the last stand of this unit, our last chance to show the robots what we are made of. Those who feel they can't do this or can't take orders from myself, I give you leave to go. I will not be ashamed".

No one moved.

"So be it. This fight will not be easy and we may not survive. But our work here will be remembered, however vaguely. Mark my words, friends, things will change soon. We will take this fight over to them. Their land, not ours. Their buildings, not ours. And their people and their blood, not ours. This will be our crowning achievement for all humanity".

A cheer came from the men.

"So, men, to positions. See you in hell".

As the men moved to the barricade, I stood for a moment in silence watching the scene before me. All I could think now was how they would pay.

"Sir".

I turned to see...Grigor. I nodded and he approached.

"Dimitri told me that you disappeared somewhere. I'll take command here if you want".

"Well..." I began, "I might stay for a while..."

"No. You go on, Mr Malcolm".

I nodded and we shook hands. He turned away to the men and shouted his orders out. As he looked back, there was only empty space.

* * *

"Bloody Americans". Davink continued his rant. "Idle wasters, the lot of them. So much for being powerful nation".

"Why? What happened?" I asked.

"I went back to New York and there was hardly anyone there. Burned out tanks, dead soldiers on the ground and not a sign of high command. Normally it would serve them right, but now..." He grew quiet as the message sank in. Daniel bowed his head a little. I felt a weight on my shoulders. First Dimitri went down, leaving his men all but leaderless and now the most powerful nation was collasping.  
The death toll was rising and, in a strange way, it was my fault.

Daniel news was little better. "The soldiers at the barricades were doing well, but they lost a lot of men. They couldn't hold on. They had to retreat or die. The major escaped with only three men". Even worse, people are saying the robots have almost reached the North East".

The North East. My home, my family my friends. How many more? How many more people were in danger? How many more soldiers had died in other countries? The situation seemed hopeless. There was no point any more.

_No, _I thought silently, _there is hope, however faint. We still have Sonic and his friends. And Karen 'plan' which she still hadn't told about.  
_

"THEY'RE COMING!" Someone shouted. Davink and Daniel went to their positions. I went to my position, to the barricade I had crossed over to get to Eggman. A soldier pointed outward. I saw instantly that the robots were coming closer. There was a difference though. Nearly every single one had a lance and shield rather than a laser. Eggman obviously wanted to finish this quickly. There were hundreds of them now,

I took a spare sword and shield up and turned to the group there. No words were needed. They nodded. Then the robots were almost on us.

"SHIELDS UP! SWORDS OUT!" I shouted. The others moved to me to make a solid wall before the enemy attacked.

Time seemed to pass us by. We held out as long as we could. But there were so many robots. Each time one fell, two would take their place. The robots fought to destroy the barricade and us, but we stayed firm, blocking each and every blow we could before punching through with our short swords. We should have had guns, but this would have to do. Anyway, we still had the upper hand. Just.  
My energy was draining away now. I had been going non-stop, fighting and running, more fighting, more running...and, as far as Sonic and his friends were concerned, this was just the first day.

Then I noticed that the robots were fading away. They were retreating! But before I could give any orders, more came with the same weapons as before; lances and shields.

Suddenly, there was a soldier running towards me. He stopped, gasping for breath.

"Beg to...report...sir. East side's...overrun...where Sonic is. So is the...south side...with...Davink".

My blood froze. "And Daniel?"

"The same".

"Tell them all to fall back. Head for...the city square. We'll make our last stand there".

"Yes, sir". The soldier saluted and ran off with the message.

"EVERYONE, RETREAT! TO THE SQUARE! FALL BACK!" I shouted. As the soldiers ran, the robots followed, pausing only to dismantle the barricade.

* * *

My unit was the last one to make it to the square. There was a crowd of doctors, nurses, and politicians. Here and then were our wounded, including Ally. Davink and Daniel made their way to me, followed closely by Karen and Sonic. Karen spoke first.

"Okay, here's my plan. If Sonic and I use the Chaos Emeralds, we can reduce these robots to dust. But they could also work for you three. I'm sure how it will work or what could happen, but this is our last chance".

"Do we have all the Emeralds?" I asked. "I've got one in my pocket from the Egg Nemesis".

Karen brought out a bag, opened it and looked inside. We waited as she looked in. She looked up, her face ashen grey.

"Please tell us they're in that bag". Daniel said nervously.

She shook her head sadly.

"Great," Daniel went on, "Where are they, then?"

Then Knuckles appeared. "Do you guys want good news or bad news?"

I rubbed my forehead, as if to ease my thoughts. "It's been a long day. Good news first, please".

"I know where the emeralds are. North side of the city, where Daniel was. The part that's now full of robots".

"You've got to be taking the mick". Davink said angrily. "We've almost killed ourselves to get to this point and you want us to go all that way back?"

"Forget it, mate". I said. "Karen's right. This is our last chance. I'm going back. Anyone coming with me?"

Silence. Then Karen and Sonic raised their hand. So did Knuckles and Daniel. Davink finally put his hand up, albeit grudgingly. I nodded.

"Then let's do this. Here's my plan..."


	25. Victory and Defeat

**Nearly at the end of the exams and indeed this story. I've got a few days off until Tuesday, but who knows? We will see...**

This was turning into a nightmare, I thought. This could well be the last thing I would ever do. I dismissed the thought, but it came back, stronger than ever. I could die here and my family would never know, my friends would never know...

"Hey, Malcolm, are you doing this or what?"

Reality flooded back with Daniel's voice. I nodded. The three of us approached the northern side of the square gingerly. The robots were stood there, row on row, as if they were waiting for us. Breaking through their lines seemed impossible, but if I had learned anything, it was anything was possible. I drew my sword, checked it briefly along with the shield and waited. Any minute now...

Soon there was uproar from the other side of the square. The robots stood for a moment, then spilt up into different groups, trying to find a way round us to get to the other side and find out what was going on. In the confusion, they became disorganised, individual. Just as we had thought. The diversion was in place...

I nodded. "Let's go".

The three of us rushed out into the street and straight for the robots. Because they weren't in ranks, it made it easy for us to pick them for one by one. The robots couldn't mount a counter-attack against us until it was too late...I hoped.  
Karen had been rather vague on the location, but she was certain it was near the former barricade (which was gone by now). She wanted to come with us, but her loyalties were torn between her 'superiors' and her people. The diversion couldn't last long, she said, so we had to be fairly quick. I had to stop myself sighing. This was our last chance to stop Eggman now and save our future. If we failed...

There was no time for that now.

As we came to the robots, something made me feel detached from everything, like I wasn't myself any more. At I could feel was the sword punching through metal, my own breathing, the street rushing past me as we ran. It was like a dream. But we kept on. Then lasers started piercing the air, but none came close to us.  
Then we were there. The remains of the barricade were scattered round as if a bomb had hit the area. Behind us, the robots had descended into chaos, fighting among themselves without realising. We looked at each other, then we dropped our weapons and began to search. We had to be quick here...for our friends' sake.  
After a minute, it seemed hopeless. We have searched the whole area around the barricade and there was no sign of any emeralds. We were fast running out of time.  
Then...

"Hey guys, there's something under this table. Looks like a gem".

We rushed to Davink and lifted the table up. There, in a small, scattered pile were six of the Chaos Emeralds. It was only then that we noticed the silence behind us...

* * *

There was no finesse to our return journey. There's no way to describe it, even now, but we still made it back with the jewels in our pockets. As we ran towards the centre of the square, Sonic and Karen came towards us. We stopped short of each other and we hurriedly produced the emeralds. As we did, they glowed and then floated in the air into a circle surrounding us. They began to spin round the five of us like a wheel.

"How do I..." I began, but Karen cut me off.

"Just accept the power. Just close your eyes and let it flow through your body, round your system".

I closed my eyes and as I did, I felt something. I felt something engulf me like a million pins and needles. The power began to fill me slowly until my whole body was tingling and bristling with power. Something seemed to merge into me, like a third arm.  
When I opened my eyes, I knew I felt different. Sonic was bathed a fine gold, as was Karen. Davink and Daniel were gone. I looked at my hands and saw pure white. One hand held a shining sword and the other, a shield. I felt something inside. It felt like...a very deep, very powerful feeling of anger, hatred. I looked round to see the robots coming towards us...

* * *

All I can remember to this day is sweeping my sword down at the robots. They seemed to fall apart at the faintest touch. As I did this, I pictured places in my mind...and then I was on Earth, sweeping away the robots here and there, always moving forward, always going on.  
And all the time, I felt that deep anger burning inside. Each place I went, I glimpsed New York, Madrid, Eastern Russia and Southern England, glancing at unknown faces.

It wasn't long before I was back on Sonic's world to find no one at the square. I put my feet on the ground and I could feel the power drain away. I looked round and at once saw the wounded. I looked at my hand again...

* * *

As the power left, so did the anger. It was like waves from the sea washing over my body as I closed my eyes, opening them to see Daniel and Davink standing before me. We decided that the robots had retreated and hurried to Eggman's base. We passed through the familiar landmarks, the valley for our last line of defence before the city, the bridges we had blown up to buy time, and the forest where the fighting had started.

Then there was Eggman's base. We hadn't seen it ourselves. It consisted of several large buildings, surrounded by trees, which were now being smashed and tore apart. The end of a madman's dream, I thought. The robots were virtually non-existent as the base was torn away, bit by bit. A soldier came towards us as we approached and saluted,

"Sir, as you can see, we've taken care of business here. We haven't found Eggman yet, but we think he's close. Sonic and Karen took care of the defences..." His voice trailed off as he looked at me. "Sir, are you alright?".

I focused my attention to him. "Yes, very good. Well done. Carry on".

The soldier saluted and went back to the buildings. I turned to Daniel and Davink.

"I think I'll take a walk. Care to join me?"

"Later, Malcolm". Davink said. "I'll look after the men for you until you're back".

"Me too". Daniel agreed as he followed Davink.

I watched them for a while, then made my way to one side, towards the forest. I had seen something as the soldier had been talking to me and I could guess what it was.  
The trees almost closed me in, separating me from the activity not far away. As I walked, I saw a figure. A tall, round figure that looked like he was fumbling with something. Beside him was a sort of metal cup. As I came nearer, he stopped, turned apart and looked at me. The eyes that saw me had once shone with glory, but now they were downcast and frightened.

We stood, facing each other for a long moment. Finally Eggman stood up and spoke,

"Well, Mr Malcolm, have you come to kill me at last?"

I looked at him and fell silent.


	26. End

"Well?" he asked again.

I stood still, unsure what to say or do. Why was it so hard, I asked myself. It should be a straight answer and a quick action...whatever that would be. I shrugged.

"It doesn't matter now. Nothing you can do".

Eggman reached inside the metal cup and pulled out a blaster. He pointed it at me briefly before he threw it so it landed near my feet. I looked at it, then kicked it aside and approached him. His shoulders slumped and he leaned against the metal cup. After a moment, I did the same.

"Okay," Eggman said eventually, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't you kill me after all this?"

I sighed. "I have my reasons for that, like you had yours for starting this. The main reason is I want some questions answered".

"Such as?"

I collected my thoughts for a moment, checking everything.

"Who helped you? I know someone did, they must have. The evidence is fairly obvious".

Eggman looked at me. "How did you guess?"

"Several things. One: someone must have covered up the reason why the subways were closed. You couldn't just do that and get away with it. Two: The weapons we made came from your robots, but it's likely that the metal you used are unknown to Earthlings yet it was no problem so you must have used other metals. Must I go on?"

Eggman shook his head. "You're right so far. There's an abundance of metal here, but mining would have taken too long". He breathed deeply. "The idea was a good one, you have to admit. I have...had contacts on Earth".

"What kind?"

"I don't know, but I met them all once. There were some men from the criminal underworld, some high-ranking businessmen and politicians. That's all I know".

I turned my head to Eggman. "When was this?"

"A year or two ago. It was simple. The criminals stole scrap metal, sold it to the businessmen and they gave it to me. The politicians covered my back on the subways thing. Everything was perfect...until you three arrived".

I smiled and Eggman went on,

"I built other large robots and used them against Sonic. They were all defeated, but it stopped Sonic going any further into the base and finding out my real plans. No one suspected a thing. But that's all gone now".

He stood back up and faced me. "You don't have to spare me. End my life now, show some mercy".

I looked at him. His voice was sincere and his eyes made me stop and pity him. Pity? I thought. Why should I show pity to such a pitiless foe? And yet...

"No," I said finally, "I can't do it. I can't bring myself to do it or do anything against you now". I stopped. "Go".

Eggman raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. "Go? But what about..."

"I'll think of something". I interrupted, "Now, go".

He inched towards the metal cup before scrambling to get in. As he prepared himself to leave, he turned to me.

"If you're going after those men, you're in a hard fight. It's a challenge".

I smiled. "Good. No point in living otherwise".

He smiled back, and then turned away from me. The metal cup slowly drifted away from me and I watched as Eggman made his way to freedom.

* * *

When I came out of the forest, Daniel approached me and put his hand on my shoulder and nodded. I nodded back.

"Well done, Malcolm. I was wondering..."

"Yeah, well, I had some questions. Besides, there's been enough death today and I don't think I could face my family, knowing I had killed someone".

"I know". Daniel walked away and I followed.

"You did well, Malcolm," He went on, "Years from now, they'll make a statue of us or write books about us".

A idea came to me then. "I could always write them. I know this site where you can write stories on the Internet".

"You do that, Malcolm. But, first, we should have a party to celebrate this victory and mourn those we lost. It's sounds like we've got more work to do".

"Can I help?" I asked, even though I knew the answer. Daniel shook his head.

"Sorry, Malcolm, but you've got a family and a life to sort out. That and the story. But, for now, let's party. Apparently, our wounded were cured instantly while you were in chaos form. Thanks to you, no one got killed here". He shook his head in amazement. "Damn miracle".

I nodded slowly. "Do you think we'll see Eggman again?"

"Frankly, Malcolm, I would be very surprised if we didn't!".

"How do we explain...?"

"We'll said he escaped or something. Don't worry about it.

"Just..." I said and then stopped.

"What?"

"Why couldn't we have...?"

"Used magic? We could have, Malcolm, but it still wouldn't have been enough. We have our limits, just like humans. We're not gods, boy". H sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Still, we'd better see about this party".

* * *

I can't really describe the scene when I finally got home. It still hurts when I think about it. How my mum and my dad and my sister rushed to me, hugging me tight and crying, unable to speak through the shock and the tears. I was the same, not just because I was back home, but because of the pain I had caused, the anguish. It was plain to me now how my disappearance had affected them. That was when I swore silently that I would never do that ever again.

And that is where, usually, the story ends. That is the end of this story anyway. I thought that was the end of it and so did everyone else. After all that, there were some good parts: Amy spending her hard-earned money to buy stuff for me, training the City Battalion (which spilt up after the battle), going to the party and dancing the night away...

And then they are the bad parts: Dimitri dying in my arms, coming close to death through the Egg-Nemesis, watching our comrades falling about us, letting Knuckles stay behind while we escaped...

All that had happened so quickly. True we won, but at a high price. So much had gone by. So much had happened.

We had no idea that it was only the beginning.

**End.**

**And that's this story finished, at long last. I'm hoping to get a sequel up, maybe several. Hope you enjoyed this story and hope to hear from you soon. **

**Yours, **

**Malcolm.  
**


End file.
